Who Says You Can't Go Home?
by mkaz
Summary: Stephanie returns to Lazytown after being away for six years. So many things have changed: the town, the mayor, the people. She's changed too; no longer a little girl, but a young woman. Perhaps she'll attract the attentions of a certain superhero she's crushed on for years...and maybe someone else she never thought of before. I smell a love triangle, folks!
1. Chapter 1

"Who says you can't go home?"

Those words were spoken by the driver of the bus Stephanie was riding on. She hadn't been paying attention—why should she, after all? She had her own things to think about—but out of a hard-wired need to be polite, she responded with, "I'm sorry?"

The bus driver turned and smiled at her in the rearview mirror, showing off straight, white, rather frightening teeth. "You must be heading home, eh miss? Why, this morning we began our journey with-with, oh, let's see…ten of yous! And two old ladies got off at Quaintville, and then that young couple with the little baby left at Breezy Britches, and three of those business-type fellas went away at Technopolis, and then that last sad-looking little man made his way away at Parched Falls—sad, sad little old place, believe me—which just leaves you! And the last stop is Lazytown, which is the only place I could take you to, unless you just like making trips for the heck of it, and no one ever visits Lazytown unless they live there—or _used_ to live there! So you must be going home, ain't yous?"

Stephanie smiled uncomfortably. "Yes, sir. I used to live in Lazytown a while ago. I'm coming back for a visit."

"Ah, well, there you go! Welcome home, Miss!"

Stephanie gave another polite smile, but she stayed quiet after that and hoped the driver would do so too. She didn't want to talk. You all should know that someone like Stephanie Meanswell, who'd lived in a small but amazing place like Lazytown for a good part of her childhood and then spent her remaining teenage years traveling and going to college, had so many things she could say that it was almost impossible for her to say anything at all.

Weird, huh? She'd always been an outgoing, loving child, and in many ways had grown into an outgoing, loving 20-year old woman, but she still sometimes felt like something was missing.

This was the first time she'd been back to Lazytown in six years.

Do you know that Stephanie hadn't ever said that out loud, not even to herself? Let's all make a mental note of that.

She'd never really ever considered leaving. But one morning, a morning just like any other, the phone rang in her Uncle Milford's cheery yellow kitchen while her Aunt Bessie made Stephanie some pancakes. Her uncle answered, and from the look on his face, Stephanie knew it was something serious. Silently he handed her the phone, and she was speaking with her mother.

"Hello, darling," Anastasia Meanswell greeted her daughter. "Would you like to come live with me in New York and attend high school here? In the summers we could travel together, and…really, finally get to know one another."

The conversation wasn't that cut and dry, obviously. I'm just putting in the meaty bits. And while Stephanie's first reaction might have been to tell her mother to sod off in the politest way possible at one time in her life, at 14 years old, she was already beginning to feel the itch, the need to escape and cut loose and have adventures. Being the oldest of her friends in Lazytown meant that sometimes she had to be patient with them, knowing they weren't where she was yet. She knew her friends loved her, but sometimes it was frustrating. She often felt there was no one to talk to; her friends didn't understand her because she was older, and the adults, like Sportacus or her uncle, still thought of her as a child.

So when her mother called her, Stephanie decided that maybe this was the time. Her friends were hurt and sad, especially Ziggy, her best friend, most of all, but unlike the time when Robbie Rotten tricked her into thinking she'd been accepted to a prestigious dancing school, she had several months to spend with them and say goodbye before she left.

So, everyone, that was six years ago. And our little Stephanie went to a fancy private school in New York, and traveled with her mother in the summers—just like her mother had promised. They got to know each other over those years, and they both came to a mutual realization that the most they could ever be to one another would be caring friends. That mother-daughter connection wasn't there, had never been there, really. And when Stephanie was 16 and accepted to a prestigious science university, there was no reason why she couldn't start her higher education one year early.

Through it all, she kept in touch with her friends and family through phone calls, texts and emails, but little by little, she was drifting away from them. It was getting harder to imagine the cheery little town, with its bright colors and neat landscaping. She tried to remember Sportacus' airship flying high above the town, or his amazing flips when he came to their rescue. Even Robbie Rotten's elaborate and sometimes ridiculous costumes were beginning to get blurry in her mind.

So when Uncle Milford called her for Christmas as he usually did, practically the first thing out of Stephanie's mouth was, "I'm coming for a visit when the school year is over."

Fast forward several months, and here she was, sitting on that bumpy blue bus, headed back to Lazytown, the only passenger left. Stephanie closed her eyes for just a brief time, it seemed, but soon she heard the driver call out loudly, as if it were a full bus:

"Here we are! All off for Lazytown!"

* * *

"Do you see it yet, Mr. Meanswell?"

The former mayor squinted into the distance. "No, Ziggy. Not yet. But I'm sure the bus will be here soon!"

"Aw, nuts!" Ziggy swore. He couldn't wait to see Stephanie.

Just then, the faint roar of an engine could be heard. Just a few seconds later, the big blue bus came into view and stopped at the bus stop sign.

Milford and Ziggy waited eagerly for the doors to open, and sure enough, there was Stephanie, climbing down to meet them.

She threw herself into her uncle's arms. "Oh, Uncle! I missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too, dear." He held her at arm's length to look at her. "My, how you've grown up!"

"Hi, Stephanie," Ziggy said shyly. "You look…really pretty."

Stephanie smiled down at Ziggy. Even though he was now sixteen years old, he was still shorter than her. She pulled him against her. "Ziggy. I missed you too!" She looked around. "Where is everyone?"

"Oh, waiting in the town square! Come, come, let's head over!" her uncle told her.

As they walked to the square, Stephanie had a chance to look around. Lazytown had gotten larger, with more businesses all over the place. The town looked like it expanded too, and now took up more land. There were more people walking around than she remembered too. Suddenly remembering something else, she looked up and saw the beautiful blue and white airship flying overhead. Her heart began to race, thinking of the man who occupied it. She hoped he would be there too.

"So how are things working out with the new mayor? Ms….Marvelous, right?" Stephanie asked.

"Mayor Maven Marvelosa," her uncle corrected her. "Yes, she's only been mayor for two years, but she's made quite a few improvements in our town, really built it up, as she's always saying!"

"She's very am-bi-tious," Ziggy added. Stephanie smiled, wondering if that was supposed to be a compliment or not.

Before they even reached the square, Stephanie could hear their voices. She could make out Stingy's high-pitched whines, Trixie's husky admonishments, even Pixel's soothing baritone. They turned the corner, and sure enough, there was a small crowd, waiting to greet her with a large banner that read, "Welcome Home, Stephanie!"

Her friends practically ran her over with their excitement. She was surrounded by them, all throwing questions at her: "Hey Pinky, when'd ya get so tall?" "How's college? Are you almost done?" "Why, dear, you've filled out wonderfully!" "Did you bring me anything?"

"Now, now, everyone, let's give Stephanie some room!" Uncle Milford chided them. Now being freed of the affectionate onslaught, Stephanie took the opportunity to give hugs to Stingy, Pixel, Trixie, and her Aunt Bessie.

"It's great to see you all! I missed you so much!" she told them.

"We've missed you too, dear! I'm so glad you've come back to see us!" Aunt Bessie told her.

Stephanie smiled, but started looking around when she realized one of her friends was missing. "So, um…where's Sportacus?"

"Oh, there was a poor little dog that he found injured on the side of the road. He's taken him to the vet to be looked at," Trixie told her. "He'll be here soon, don't you worry," her friend added with a gleam in her eye.

Stephanie smiled and pretended to be confused, but she wondered if Trixie knew—had always known—about her crush on Sportacus.

"So how long do we have you for?" Ziggy asked. "We have a lot of catching up to do!"

"I…haven't really decided how long," Stephanie answered. "I don't have to go back to the university until August, so I guess I could be here for a while."

"Oh, cool!" Pixel exclaimed. "Trixie and I are staying all summer too before we have to go back to college." He wrapped an affectionate arm around his girlfriend.

Stephanie smiled. She remembered reading Pixel's emails over the years, telling her about him and Trixie getting together and deciding to go to the same college in New York City. She was happy for them; they seemed so happy together.

And then, here came the familiar sound of a body flipping through the air. It wasn't a sound Stephanie had heard in a while, but it was one she'd never forget.

He landed, effortlessly, on the grass behind the gathering, so most of their friends were blocking Stephanie's view of him. "Hi everyone!" she heard Sportacus say.

God, he hadn't aged a day, at least in Stephanie's estimation. His blue eyes were still bright, his smile still sweet and boyish. And his body…oh, his body was still just as tight and muscular as it had been six years ago. Maybe it had something to do with being a superhero. Ultimately, Stephanie didn't care. He was here and just a few feet away.

"Sportacus! You're just in time!" Aunt Bessie told him.

The superhero smiled. "Wonderful! Is Stephanie almost here?" Stephanie saw him scan the crowd, and briefly glance over her. She frowned; didn't he see her? Next to him, she was a tallest person in the group.

"I'm…right here, Sportacus," Stephanie called out, coming forward.

Sportacus' smiled faded, replaced with shocked expression. "Stephanie?"

She smiled, trying not to show her embarrassment that everyone was watching them. "It's great to see you again." She held her arms open for a hug.

Slowly—well, slowly for a firecracker like him—he stepped forward and gave her the briefest of embraces. When they pulled away, Stephanie smiled to hide her disappointment.

"You…you look so…different!" he exclaimed.

"Well, it has been six years," Aunt Bessie pointed out gently. "Our little Stephanie has grown up!"

Everyone chuckled lightly, and Stephanie's eyes met Sportacus's and she looked away, hoping her cheeks weren't turning too pink.

"Stephanie, dear, we have such fun things planned while you're here!" Uncle Milford piped up. "Your aunt has been making a feast for us to have tonight, and then tomorrow we plan to take you to the lake and then to dinner!"

"And then we're all getting together for pizza and catching up the day after!" Trixie added.

"And of course there's the town hall meeting right after, so you can meet the new mayor!" Stingy chimed in.

"And then a welcome home party!" Ziggy added.

"Everyone, please! Let's give Stephanie some room to breathe!" Aunt Bessie intervened. She affectionately put her hands on her niece's shoulders. "Come, sweetheart. Let's get you home so you can rest. You must be exhausted from your traveling."

Stephanie allowed her aunt to lead her away, turning back to wave goodbye to her friends. Once again her eyes met Sportacus', who had a look on his face she'd never seen before. Here's a good analogy: remember that first time you saw the harvest moon, and it's so full and round and golden, like the sun? And you know you're looking at it, but you still can't quite bring yourself to believe it's real? Yep, that's what the above average hero's face looked like.

After the Meanswells had left, the group turned to look at each other. "I've got a new game I've been working on; you guys wanna come over and play it?" Pixel asked.

"Sounds good!" Stingy and Ziggy replied.

"I'm gonna go to the store and pick up some things for my mom," Trixie added. "You guys have fun."

"See ya, babe," Pixel said, giving her a kiss.

"Not if I see you first," she told him. As the boys left, Trixie turned to Sportacus, who was still rooted in the spot where he stood.

"Wow, Pinky's really changed! It's hard to believe it's been six years!" Trixie remarked.

"Yes," Sportacus said distantly. Then, he snapped out of it and added, "Yes, it's good to have her back."

"Mmm," Trixie intoned, her eyes narrowing. "Well, it looks like she'll be staying a while, so we'll all get the chance to…rekindle our relationships with her."

Sportacus gave Trixie a friendly, somewhat clueless smile. "That's true. Well, I'd best be off. Take care!" And with that, he flipped away.

Trixie rolled her eyes. "Oh lord. I have so much work to do with those two." She walked off to the store.

* * *

"Mmm. Oh, Aunt Bessie, I've really missed your cooking," Stephanie said as she took a bite of the roast beef on her plate.

"And I've missed you being here to cook for! You were always so easy to please, sweet child. Milford, have more mashed potatoes. You need the fiber." Bessie piled another heaping spoonful on her husband's plate.

"Really, my dear, I'm quite satisfied," Miford protested.

"Nonsense! Eat what you have there," Bessie ordered. With a deep sigh and an ingrained need to please his wife, Milford began to eat.

Stephanie smiled sympathetically and decided to change the subject. "So…how does it feel to be retired, Uncle Milford? Do you miss being the mayor?"

"Oh, now and then! But it was time for me to move on, my dear. I'm not as young as I used to be you know," he told her in a confidential voice.

Stephanie tried to be cheerful, but her uncle's comment left her feeling sad. She realized that as she got older, becoming an adult and being able to have more freedom, it also meant that the adults in her life that she loved were also getting older. Uncle Milford was far from being feeble, but she also knew that he was not a young man either. She worried about him; her father had died when she was too young to remember him, and her uncle had been the closest thing to a father she'd ever known. Still, he was quite happy with Bessie; they'd been married for six years now, the wedding having taken place right before she left Lazytown for high school. It gave Stephanie comfort to know that they were together, looking out for each other. She had to admit it, even it was just to herself: if Bessie hadn't been there for her uncle, she might have not left Lazytown. She would have felt too guilty, leaving him.

"But Maven is wonderful!" Bessie insisted. "She's young, vibrant, and has such great ideas for this town. You'll meet her on Friday evening, Stephanie, dear, at the town meeting."

"I can't wait," Stephanie replied with a smile. She spent the rest of the dinner asking her aunt and uncle about the various people in the town: if they were still there, if they'd moved, what they were now doing.

She saved the best—or perhaps worst?—for last. "And…Robbie Rotten?" she asked. "Is he still the bumbling nuisance I remember him to be?"

Milford and Bessie looked at each other, apparently searching for the right words. Finally, her uncle replied, "Well, no, dear, that's the interesting thing. He hasn't come up with an elaborate scheme in, oh…years now. Oh he tried to pull off a fiasco during our last parade, but it was a bit half-hearted."

"He mostly keeps to himself these days," Aunt Bessie added. "He still has his—what would you call it? A lair?—but he actually ended up building a house for himself up on the hill. He still makes appearances every now and then."

"Oh," Stephanie tried not to sound disappointed. Why should she care? He was always trying to ruin their fun. If he finally grew up and wised up, then that was good and fine.

"Yes," Aunt Bessie agreed. "It just seemed after you left town, dear, his antics just sort of…fizzled out. Well, good riddance." She shrugged and began to clear the dishes from the table.

"Can I help you, Aunt Bessie?" Stephanie asked.

"Oh no, dear. You've had a long day! Go on upstairs and rest yourself. Your room is just as you left it."

As Stephanie started to walk up to her room, her uncle followed her and took her hand. "I'm so happy to have you back home, dear. It just hasn't been the same around here without you."

Stephanie smiled and squeezed his hand. "I'm glad to be here too, Uncle Milford."

She said goodnight and went upstairs to the room that used to be hers. When she opened the door, she gasped and had to suppress a laugh. It was so pink! Pink walls, pink curtains, pink sheets, even pink furniture. She remembered loving it when she was a little girl, but now it was so garish. She shook her head, grateful that her tastes had evolved.

Stephanie sat back on her old bed, and finally realized how tired she was. It really had been a long day, and was glad that her aunt had insisted she rest. She turned to the window near the bed and looked outside. Her eyes drifted to the west, to the big hill. She had to squint, but she could just make it out, a large, dark, rather gloomy-looking Victorian-style house that had not been there the last time she was in Lazytown.

Robbie Rotten's house. It looked like Dracula's castle, in her opinion, but it seemed to echo his style as she remembered it. She wondered what he did now, if it wasn't making trouble anymore. She also couldn't help but wonder what he'd think of her if he saw her. Everyone seemed taken aback by how much she'd changed, and Sportacus hadn't even recognized her. Would he be surprised too?

Would he even care?

* * *

So...the usual band of idiots was getting together today. Robbie had spied them through the telescope he kept on the roof of his house. While he had now devoted more of his time to his inventions and less to his scheming, he still liked to keep tabs on Lazytown's residents. He wanted to ensure they weren't planning anything that would disturb the peace too much.

He could see them putting up a "Welcome Home" sign in the town square, and based on the heresay he was able to gather, that nauseating pink cheerleader Stephanie Meanswell was coming home that day. Ugh, he could just see it now: all the bouncing, cheering, and dancing that was going to go on! Those kids might be older, but they could still let loud and irritating. Robbie felt dread in his stomach so deep that not even a slice of cake and a glass of soda could remedy it.

Finally his telescope picked up the image of three people walking towards the square. Robbie adjusted the scoping to get a closer look. Sure enough, there was Meanswell, wearing his usual mustard yellow atrocity; that short, chubby kid who always hung on Meanswell's niece; and…wait. Who was that?

That old geezer must be losing his mind, because he clearly picked up the wrong person from the bus stop. Instead of a pink monstrosity with a brassy pixie cut, he saw a tall, slender, curvaceous young woman. True, her hair was pink, but it was a several shades lighter and longer and pulled into a sleek, chic high ponytail. Instead of a ridiculous cheerleader outfit and sneakers, she wore tight black pedal pushers, a white v-neck tee, and a black denim jacket cuffed at the elbows. The only pink on her besides her hair were on the toes of her black pumps. There was a kind of simple elegance to her—whoever this woman was.

"Couldn't possibly be…" Robbie grumbled to himself. But when he saw the Meanswells taking the woman home, it made sense.

Could it be? _That _was the mauve menace, returned? He'd have to do some reconnaissance, find out what had changed in those six years. He'd go to see this woman in person, and perhaps—if it was worthy of his time—talk to her.

Not that he cared. Not at all. He was only mildly interested, and it occupied the time left since his inspiration for inventing was running temporarily dry.

He would start tomorrow…


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I completely forgot to give credit to Magnús Scheving for his wonderful creation, _Lazytown, _in my first chapter.

Stephanie awoke the following morning to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. She opened her eyes, and a confused but happy look settled on her face. She hadn't been awakened to the sound of birds in, well, six years. It was always other sounds that woke her: her roommates talking loudly, her blaring alarm, the sound of her coffeemaker automatically turning on and brewing that life-giving liquid. But this…this was the sound of peace. Of serenity. It was a sound she didn't realize she had missed until now.

She threw on a robe and walked downstairs, breathing in the aroma of bacon, pancakes, and fresh fruit. Aunt Bessie was at it once again, putting together a feast to nourish her "poor, starving little niece." And it all smelled so delicious that she didn't mind that such a statement was mostly untrue.

Sure enough, there was the cheerful lady in the kitchen, dressed impeccably (far too impeccably) for the morning, pulling the pan of bacon out of the oven. "There's my girl! How did you sleep, Stephanie?"

"I slept great, Aunt Bessie, thank you," Stephanie walked over to the kitchen island and sat down on one of the stools. "Breakfast smells wonderful."

"And it will taste wonderful too, as soon as your uncle gets back from walking Fifi. Honestly, what is keeping him?"

As if by cue, there came Uncle Milford, holding the fluffy white westie in one arm and the leash in the other. "All done, my dear! Fifi went pee pee and poo poo."

"Oh good! I worry when my little Snookums doesn't go," Aunt Bessie gushed in a baby voice, giving the doggie a pet on the head.

Stephanie tried to suppress a laugh. She supposed that this was the life of a married, retired couple with no children to take care of: worrying about the bodily functions of their pet. Fifi ran up to Stephanie and pawed at her knees, so she got down from the stool and caressed the dog's soft white fur.

Not long after, Aunt Bessie made plates for the three of them and set them on the table. "Eat up, you two. Once we're done we're heading to the lake."

"Did someone say a trip to the lake?" The three Meanswells looked up to see Trixie standing in the doorway.

"Trixie!" Stephanie exclaimed. "How'd you get in?"

The brunette tomboy shrugged. "You left your bedroom window open. I was coming to say hi, didn't see ya, so I figured you were having breakfast. Ooh, is that bacon?" She reached over and took a slice from Uncle Milford's plate, much to his dismay.

"Trixie!" Stephanie chided.

"Oh, I'm just saving Mr. Meanswell from a heart attack. He shouldn't be eating that stuff anyway," Trixie replied, munching on the crispy fried strip of meat.

Bessie groaned in exasperation and rolled her eyes. "Would you care to join us for breakfast, Trixie?" she asked grudgingly.

"Oh, no thanks, Bessie. I already ate. I just came to see Pinky."

"You already had—then why did you take…oh, never mind." Bessie began to irritably eat her meal.

Stephanie grinned and said, "Do you want to come to the lake with us?" She ignored her aunt's look of horror.

"Oh, sure!"

"Pixel won't mind, will he?"

Trixie dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand. "No worries about that. He's cool with it. We could use some time apart. Me and Pixel spend enough time together already. We go to school together, live together, do everything together! We're always together! I roll over in bed and there he is!"

Aunt Bessie gasped and Uncle Milford uttered an "Oh my!"

"Problem?" Trixie asked innocently.

"Well, Trixie," Bessie began, "I don't think that's the proper conversation for the…breakfast table."

"Oh, I see," Trixie replied sagely with a nod of her head. "Dinner table it is, then."

Aunt Bessie pursed her lips together and looked like she was going to explode. Ever the peacemaker, Uncle Milford said, "Trixie, dear, why don't you head on home and get ready? We'll pick you up on our way to the lake."

"Sounds great! I'll be waiting!" On her way out, she snatched another piece of bacon, this time from Stephanie's plate, and bounced away.

"Oh, that girl!" Bessie cried out in aggravation after Trixie left. "She's only gotten worse as she's grown up. Stephanie, why did you invite her along?"

"She's my friend. I've missed her," Stephanie replied with a shrug. She finished her plate, got up, and gave her aunt a kiss on the cheek. "I'll keep her in line for you while we'll there."

"Hmph," Aunt Bessie grunted. "I don't think the entire Lazytown pest control department could keep _her_ in line."

* * *

The lake was just as beautiful as Stephanie remembered it. Bright yellow sand, crystal clear water, dark green trees flanking it. The water was so clear, in fact, that the entire blue sky was reflected in it. She lay on a blanket next to Trixie, her eyes closed but still able to see the brightness of the sun. It was so peaceful, she could almost feel herself drifting away…

"Sportacus looks great, doesn't he?"

Stephanie's eyes flew open at the sound of Trixie's question. She sat up quickly, looking behind her to see if anyone else heard it.

"Relax," Trixie told her. "They're sitting far enough away, and your aunt is clucking so loud they can't even hear us."

And her friend was right. They were sitting up on the hill, several feet away. Aunt Bessie was chatting with another lady—a young mother with a little boy—while Uncle Milford dutifully lathered her with sunscreen. Stephanie sighed, looking out into the water. "Yes, he looks great. He always has."

"Mm hmm," Trixie agreed, adjusting the top of her red bikini. "He hasn't changed at all, even from the time he first came to Lazytown. How old do you think he is?"

"Don't know. To be honest with you, Trixie, I…don't know if I want to know."

Trixie patted her shoulder sympathetically. "Doesn't matter, Pinky. You're not a little girl anymore. If you wanted to…you know, do something about it, you could."

Stephanie laughed lightly. "_Do_ something? What are you thinking I'd do?"

"Don't play dumb with me. I know you've always had a thing for him. Ever since we were kids, I saw the way you looked at him. You practically stopped breathing every time he dipped you when you two danced."

Stephanie felt her face turn as red as Trixie's swimsuit. She got up and started walking towards the water.

"Pinky, hey! Wait! Steph, come on!" Trixie ran after her, then got a hold of her hand and turned Stephanie around. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I'm just saying that now that you're an adult, you can finally go after him. I just want you to be happy, that's all."

"Tommy, stay near the shore, you hear me?" the young mother sitting with Aunt Bessie called out to her son, who was starting to play near the edge of the beach.

Stephanie looked over at the little boy, then back to Trixie. "You're assuming that he's actually interested in me. He didn't even recognize me when he saw me yesterday."

"Well, you know, it's been years since he saw you, and you were a little girl—"

"Exactly! He was looking for little Stephanie, the cute kid who wore pink dresses and pink tights and liked to dance ballet and sing silly songs. That's how he thinks of me, and…it's probably the way he'll always think of me."

Trixie was about to answer when they heard a cry for help. They looked to see the little boy, Tommy, now several yards away from the shore, struggling to keep his head above water.

"Tommy!" the mother cried.

* * *

Up above, Sportacus was doing his cardio workout. He was on the floor, doing his pushups, and by now he should have made it to the 100 mark. But he was only at 70. Sighing, he pushed himself off of the floor and stood up.

"What's wrong, Sportacus?" the on-board computer asked him in a friendly female voice. "You haven't met your current measurements for your cardio workout. Are you feeling ill?"

"No, Computer. I'm feeling quite well physically, it's just that…" But then he stopped himself. As sympathetic as his computer was designed to sound, he knew that it couldn't truly understand why he felt distracted. It couldn't offer him advice as to why Stephanie's appearance was such a shock to him. After all, she was 20 years old; she was a young adult, but an adult nonetheless. It had been six years since he'd seen her; obviously she would have grown up.

But did she really have to look so grown up? So…sophisticated, and _beautiful_?

Just then, the crystal he wore on his chest glowed. "Someone's in trouble," he said to himself.

Following the sound of the cries, he was able to triangulate the source of the distress. It was coming from the lake. Being on the other side of town, and time being of the essence, he decided to take his jet and fly to the lake. He piloted the jet right over the hill that led to the beach, tossed down the ladder and climbed down, and ran down to the shoreline. By the time he got there, however, it appeared the crisis was averted.

A little boy was sitting on the beach, wrapped in a towel, his mother cradling him. Stephanie and Trixie were sitting nearby, along with Milford and Bessie Meanswell.

"Is everyone all right?" Sportacus asked as he got to them.

"Oh, Sportacus, thank goodness!" Mr. Meanswell exclaimed. "Little Tommy here found himself a little too far out into the water, but fortunately Stephanie jumped in and got him."

"Stephanie?" Sportacus asked.

Stephanie stood up and smiled shyly. She was wearing a blue and black scuba-style swimsuit that zipped up the front, and her hair was heavy and dark with water, which made it look more like the shade of pink Sportacus had remembered.

"Oh, you should have seen her!" Bessie gushed. "We all panicked, but not her! Our girl just jumped right in and swam him right back to shore."

"Really, Aunt Bessie, it was nothing," Stephanie said. "I'm just glad I was able to help."

"Well, you sound like a superhero to me!" Sportacus complimented her.

Stephanie laughed. "Yes, I can be…Sportaquette!"

It was meant as a joke, but clearly it fell flat. Sportacus smiled kindly. Trixie shut her eyes and shook her head.

"Well, I'm so glad you were here to save my Tommy. Thank you, Stephanie!" Tommy's mother said. Stephanie smiled and told her she was welcome.

"It looks like everything is fine here, so I'll be heading out," Sportacus told them.

Trixie elbowed Stephanie sharply in the ribs, urging her silently to do something. "Wait!" Stephanie cried out. She desperately tried to think of something. "Why don't we…take a walk and catch up?"

"Oh, a walk sounds lovely!" Uncle Milford interjected. "I'd love to stretch my legs."

Stephanie shot a panicked look at Trixie, who quickly stepped up and said, "Mr. Meanswell, Bessie, I saw a flower cart up the beach, and it reminded me that my cousin's wedding is coming up. She wants to have a whole bunch of violets and clover tied in green ribbons…"

"Whaaat? At a wedding? Is she mad?" Aunt Bessie started walking towards Trixie. "Oh for heaven's sake, I can't let a travesty like that happen! Come on, come on, let's go to the flower cart and I'll show you how it needs to be done! Come, Milford!" As Stephanie's aunt waddled up to the hill, her uncle following close behind, Trixie kept them moving away from the beach. She tossed a conspiratorial smile over her shoulder at Stephanie and went on.

Stephanie turned to Sportacus with a shy smile, her heart pounding. "So…do you want to take that walk?"

He crossed his arms and smiled. "Yes, I'd like that."

They walked along the shore, and Stephanie was so nervous she was worried she'd stumble or do something embarrassing. Fortunately, Sportacus asked her all sorts of questions about what she'd been doing, where she'd been, what she'd seen, and it helped to focus her. She described all the beautiful works of art she'd seen in France and Italy, the safari she'd been on in Africa, the beaches of Costa Rica she'd visited during her vacation the previous year. He listened to her in rapt attention, fascinated and admiring.

"It's really nothing special," she told him with a blush.

"Oh, but it is," Sportacus assured her. "The things you've seen and done—not many people can boast of this. I'm…I'm very happy for you, that you had the chance to leave, and…do these things." He sounded sad.

Stephanie was worried by this. "You're not mad at me for leaving, are you?"

With that, Sportacus stopped in his tracks and put his hands on her shoulders. "Oh, no Stephanie! No, don't think that at all!"

Although Stephanie had grown into a fairly tall woman, Sportacus was still taller than her, and she was glad for it. She still felt small, vulnerable with him, being able to look up at him. The warmth of his hands on her shoulders—such a small gesture-was nonetheless enticing. But then, to her disappointment, he seemed to realize he was touching her and removed his hands.

"I missed you, of course," he explained. "But I knew that someday you'd have to leave and move on to other things. And I'm glad that you returned. Very glad."

Stephanie blushed slightly and looked away. "You…didn't seem glad to see me," she recalled, baiting him slightly. "You looked at me like I was a stranger."

Sportacus sighed. "I know I did. I'm sorry about that. I just…wasn't expecting you to look so grown up."

Stephanie fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Well, I'm 20 years old, Sportacus. What did you think: I was going to look the way I did when I was 10?"

He grimaced slightly. _Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking_, he thought to himself. "You…have a very different style now," he said, choosing his words carefully. "I just had to get adjusted to it."

"Right." Stephanie tried not to sound disappointed by this. After a few minutes of silence and trying to find something to say, she asked, "Can you stay? I have fish!"

"What?"

"I mean…Aunt Bessie has fish. I mean, that is, she made tuna fish sandwiches. That is, sandwiches she brought along for a picnic. What I'm saying is, would you like to join us for our lunch on the beach?" _Oh so smooth, Stephanie_, she berated herself in her thoughts.

"Oh, that's sounds very nice, but I have an appointment with Mayor Marvelosa soon." Sportacus looked at the glittering dial on his watch. "Actually, I need to leave now so I'm not late."

"Oh! Well, I won't keep you then. It was nice talking with you," Stephanie tried very hard to put a reassuring smile on her face.

"Yes, I'm glad we got to spend some time together," Sportacus answered with a smile. "Goodbye!" And with that, he sped away using a series of incredible back flips.

"Oh, that was awful," Stephanie lamented to herself, walking back to where she and her family had left their belongings. Just a few minutes later, her aunt, uncle, and Trixie appeared over the hill, Bessie grumbling about the flower cart.

"A white hydrangea, that's all! I just asked for a white hydrangea, and the man looks at me like I have three heads! What is the world coming to when you can't even get a white hydrangea!" Bessie noticed Stephanie shaking off her blanket and folding it up. "Stephanie, do you want to leave, dear?"

"Yes, if you don't mind, Aunt Bessie," Stephanie answered, coming up with an excuse. "I think swimming out there…and all the adrenaline…it's left me a little tired."

"Oh, of course! We'll go home right now so you can rest," Uncle Milford added. "You're still up to dinner tonight, aren't you, dear?"

"Absolutely! I can't wait!"

On the ride home, Trixie gently nudged Stephanie. "Well?" she mouthed, hopeful.

But Stephanie shook her head sadly and mouthed back, "Don't ask."

Trixie patted her friend's hand and whispered softly. "Plenty of time."


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: __I must give credit to Angela Santomero, Todd Kessler, and Traci Paige Johnson, since I make reference to four of the characters they created in my story. :-)_

After dropping Trixie off, the Meanswells returned home and Aunt Bessie insisted on Stephanie taking a hot bath and taking a nap. Stephanie didn't mind at all; she really did feel tired after the trip to the lake. A few hours later, she got up, got dressed, and joined her family for dinner at The Seared Radish, one of the finest restaurants in Lazytown.

Her aunt and uncle – but mostly her aunt – asked her to tell them everything about her time at the university. It got to the point which Stephanie didn't know if there was much else she could say, but they still seemed to expect more.

"And…have you met any nice young men while you've been there?" Aunt Bessie asked.

Ah…nice young men. Her aunt wanted the reassurance that her niece was normal and socialized and possibly narrowing her options to someone who could be good husband material. Stephanie was nowhere there. Oh, she'd had her dalliances here and there, mostly in high school, actually. Nothing serious, and certainly nothing too physical. There just didn't seem to be anyone who could measure up to her expectations, which had been elevated to "above average" proportions long ago.

Stephanie smiled uncomfortably and took another bite of her pasta. "Well, there's a guy named Steve I'm friends with."

"Ah! Good!" Aunt Bessie said, clapping her hands together.

Stephanie felt a mild bit of panic, knowing that her aunt was already imagining her bringing Steve home for Christmas or something like that, which was the last thing she wanted. At the very least, Steve wasn't imaginary.

"But we're only friends!" Stephanie felt the need to add. At least she'd told the truth thus far. She did have a friend named Steve who went to the same college as her. They'd taken a class together during freshman year and stayed in touch although their majors were different. They'd gotten to know each other quite well, and soon realized that they could be a "patch" for one another. That is, they both had holes in their hearts that might not ever be repaired, but due to a need to follow societal customs, they spent enough time together that people just assumed they were a couple and left them alone.

For Steve, it was losing Miranda, a girl he'd lived next door to and loved for years, to his brother, Joe. Steve had been painfully shy when it came to the opposite sex, and when he steadily avoided Miranda for most of their childhood and teenage years, she assumed he didn't like her. Joe was younger, more handsome, and more confident, and was still living there when Steve left for college. So it didn't take any time at all for her to fall for Joe. He couldn't blame Joe; he had no idea that Steve felt that way, and his little brother was already doing him a big favor by taking care of his dog and house for him while he was gone. When it was all said and done, Miranda would be far happier with Joe than Steve anyway. It didn't stop Steve from hurting—and perhaps holding on to a little hope.

"So what's your story, Stephanie?" Steve had asked her after he told her his story.

Stephanie had looked out of the window of the conservatory where they were sitting, to the bright blue sky that reminded her of the eyes of someone she loved. "I was born too late," she told Steve. "He watched me grow up, so we're in two different places, all the time. I lost my chance before I ever had it."

"Sorry," Steve told her. "If you ever need me to, you know, be your patch, let me know."

"Well, friends are good!" Aunt Bessie told her, rousing Stephanie out of her memories. "I'd love to meet him sometime."

Stephanie smiled weakly and hoped this would be the end of the conversation for a while (she already knew that very few things Bessie Meanswell—nee Busybody—set her mind to were ever really resolved until she got her way).

Dinner was finally, thankfully, over, and it had been delicious, but incredibly rich. Stephanie felt like she needed to work off all of those empty calories she'd taken in. Changing out of her dress slacks and blouse and into shorts and a tee, she left the house and decided to go for a run. There was still enough sun left in the sky that it was easy to see where she was going, and it was cool and mild. Not that Stephanie sweat much, anyway. She'd been blessed in that way, being able to tolerate heat well.

She'd discovered running after dancing, and in some ways it was like her second love: not quite as special, but had its own merits. It helped Stephanie relax; she didn't have to think of choreography, keeping steps in mind or the rhythm of the music. She just moved her legs in a straight line and allowed herself to think or not to think – depending on her mood.

* * *

He'd followed her to the restaurant and watched while she had dinner with the Meanswells. He could see her face from where he was hiding, and she looked miserable. Well, what could you expect, having to endure the cackling of that old goose Busybody and her goofy oaf of a husband? He stayed hidden once they left, then followed them back to their home, where he saw that not long after they'd returned she'd left the house to go running.

Fortunately, the girl didn't run fast, or Robbie would have had none of it. She kept up a steady pace, and unlike the other irritating sports played around Lazytown, this one was mostly silent. Her feet softly hitting the pavement, her braid whipping in the wind, and her breath coming out in gentle puffs were the only sounds that were made. She was easy to follow.

She'd run past the high school and was getting close to the town square. The cloaking properties of his clothes—one of his newest and finest inventions—allowed him to blend in with his surroundings for the most part. He had to keep his face exposed so he could breathe, so he had to be careful about that being seen. She passed the brick wall that buttressed one side of the square, and then didn't come out again. Frowning, Robbie cautiously crept out from behind the other side of the wall where he'd been hiding to see what she'd done. Perhaps she'd run off into the grass instead of taking the paved path? Stooping down to hide his face, he crawled all the way out to the edge of the brick wall, and he nearly bumped his nose into a pair of long, tanned, shapely legs.

He yelped and looked up. She was looking down at him, a smile of amusement on her face.

"Looking for something?" she asked him. "Your dignity, perhaps?"

Fuming, Robbie got up from the ground and stood to look her in the face. Now that he was finally near her, he knew: same shape of the eyes, same button nose, same sweetheart lips. The face had elongated and lost some baby fat, but there was no doubt that this was Stephanie Meanswell. Quickly he tried to think of an excuse.

"Not that it's any of your business, Pinky, but I was trying out my new cloaking invention. You just happened to get in my way," Robbie sneered.

"Hmm…metamaterial," Pinky mused, reaching to touch his cloak on his shoulder and causing Robbie to flinch. "The elasticity of this design is clever. Plus the fact that you're testing it out at twilight. Helps to diffuse the light better."

Robbie pulled himself away from her and managed to hide his surprise. "What would an empty-headed ballerina like you know about it?"

"Well, not much, actually," she admitted. "Only what I've learned in my college seminars. And I'm not a ballerina," she added.

Robbie crossed his arms. "Wasn't that your…thing, when you lived here?"

"I still dance. It's just not what I'm studying as a profession. My major is biology."

"Biology! Ha!" Robbie started to laugh, leaning on the wall. "Oh, that's a good one. No offense, Pinky, it seems ill-suited to you. You know…something requiring a brain and all."

The girl smiled. "I know enough to know that you're about to get pricked by a shadow climber."

"What do you mean—ack!" Robbie jumped nearly a foot in the air as a thorn from the black, permeating vine growing on the wall got embedded in the back of his arm. He craned his neck to look at the yellow shard poking out of his flesh.

She laughed gently. "The midnight-blue shadow climber, _Meratracis lymodae_, is a vine that grows vertically and between stationary objects and is known for its barb-like thorns. I did my last term paper on it. Come here, I'll help get it out—"

"I don't need your help!"

"Robbie, it's buried pretty deep."

"I don't care! I'm fine!" After several long, painful seconds of trying to extract the thorn himself, Robbie sighed, looked at the girl, and held his arm out to her.

"The shadow climber is native to Lazytown, and flourishes here exclusively," she continued, pulling gently at the thorn. "No one really knows why. Best guess is a various set of unique environmental factors."

"I know all that!" he snapped. "I was here long before you came along."

She scowled, and with a quick yank, pulled the thorn out of Robbie's arm, causing him to moan again in pain. "Well, then, watch where you're putting your arm."

Holding his arm, he glowered and looked at her. "So, biology, huh? You're going to hate it—all those hours running tests in the lab. The silence. The concentration. The sterility."

"Making discoveries that could change the world? Yes, that too."

"But aren't you going to miss the loud, stupid insanity of your dancing and sports?"

The girl chuckled smoothed back her hair. "I can have both, and appreciate both. And I'm quite flattered that you've taken such an interest in me. I didn't know you cared so much, Robbie Rotten."

Robbie was aghast. "I didn't say I—"

"Goodbye!" she cut him off with a smile, turned on her heel, and continued her run.

Robbie growled in frustration. "That girl!"

Forgetting himself, he leaned against the wall, felt another thorn on the vine stab his arm, and bellowed.

* * *

When Stephanie arrived home, it was nearly dark. She went up to her room and discovered a letter in a dark blue envelope sitting on her bed. Puzzled, she sat down and opened it up to read it.

_Stephanie,_

_Great talking to you today. Sorry I had to leave so soon. I'm playing soccer with some of the kids at the middle school tomorrow. Will you join us? I'd love to have you on the team._

_If you can make it, please come to the middle school at ten. I hope you can be there._

_Yours,_

_Sportacus_

Stephanie smiled. Another chance with Sportacus. She hoped she wouldn't screw it up like before. Just then, her phone rang.

"Hey Pinky," Trixie replied when Stephanie answered. "Just wanted to get more details about what happened with you and Sportacus this afternoon."

"Oh, Trix, just the same stuff I was worried about," Stephanie said with a sigh, lying down on the sheets. "He still thinks of me as a little kid. He practically said it."

Trixie made a noise of disappointment.

"But I did just get a letter from him inviting me to play soccer tomorrow morning."

"Oh, cool! This is your chance!"

"Yeah, but we'll be surrounded by a bunch of 12 year olds. Doesn't really make for a romantic scene."

"Eh, ditch the little rug-rats after a couple hours and you'll be fine."

"But we're also supposed to get together for pizza tomorrow, remember?"

"Aw, that'll be later in the day. You let me know when. Helping you get your groove on is my top priority; I work on your schedule."

"Ha! Okay. Thanks, Trixie."

"No prob. Anything else fun happen today?"

"You mean, other than Aunt Bessie grilling me about my love life? Well, I did just run into Robbie Rotten…"

"Really? No shit. How's the old grump doing?"

"Strangely enough, he's aged pretty well too, considering the man eats nothing but cake and never goes out in the fresh air. We actually had a pleasant conversation…"

"Really?"

"Well, pleasant for Robbie. Anyway, I'm gonna get going. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, babe. Oh, and Pinky?"

"Yeah?"

"Tomorrow, when you're playing soccer with Sportacus? Don't be afraid to let his balls hit your net."

"Perv."

* * *

After dropping the letter off at Stephanie Meanswell's house and doing his weight training for the evening, Sportacus opened the bay window of his airship and looked out at the town as it began to wind down from the activities of the day.

Standing there made him think of when his predecessor, Activius, came to visit him three years earlier. Activius had been assigned to be Number Nine, and had protected Lazytown many years earlier. Although he was an older man, he was still in excellent shape, and had even accompanied Sportacus on a brisk evening jog before joining him back in the airship.

"It's a beautiful town," Activius remarked as they looked out at the land. "Such bright, beautiful colors. There's no other place in the world like this, I know."

"Yes," Sportacus agreed. "I have found no other in my time."

Activius chuckled at this. "But you are still so young. One of the advantages of being a guardian is that we age so slowly. We can enjoy many years of doing our duty."

"But…you stopped after a few decades, didn't you?"

Activius sighed. "That I did. I did. I stopped because I fell in love. Have you ever been in love, Sportacus?"

Sportacus smiled and blushed. "No, not really."

"It is a wonderful thing. But it is a selfish thing. As guardian, you love so many, and so many love you. You know this love well, don't you?"

"I do. I love the people in Lazytown."

"But loving someone is not the same as being _in love_ with them. When you fall in love, as I did, you are giving yourself to just one person, and that person is giving themselves only to you. And of course, there is the matter of vulnerability."

"Vulnerability?" Sportacus questioned.

"Yes, indeed. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable, to let that one person see all of you. The residents of Lazytown: you love them, but you still keep a distance from them. You live in an airship flying above them, for example, instead of living in the town. And this distance is necessary, so that you can be there for all of them, and they can put complete faith in your ability to save them no matter what. But once you fall in love, there is no distance. That person will see it all: both your greatest strengths and your greatest weaknesses."

Activius must have seen the fear on Sportacus' face, because he said, "Oh, don't worry, Sportacus. This might not happen for you for a long time."

"What if I fall in love, and I'm not ready to give up this life? To be…selfish, as you call it?'

Activius smiled and clapped his younger friend on the shoulder. "Trust me, my friend. When you fall in love, really, truly in love, you will be ready. Oh, you might fret about it for a while, but ultimately you will be able to let go."

"But why?"

"Because what that one person gives you will be enough to sustain you. I know it is difficult to imagine now, but when you get there, you will understand what I mean."

Sportacus smiled to himself now, thinking of what Activius told him. Their conversation had been mostly a passing memory up until the last few days, just a bit of sound advice for Sportacus to store away for future use.

Then Stephanie returned to town. And she'd stirred something in him that he hadn't felt in a long time.

They had a lot to learn about each other, while building on what they already had. Would their friendship grow and thrive? Would it get stronger? Or would it turn into something else?

And if it did, was Sportacus ready to give up the life he'd had for 12 years? Could he be selfish?

* * *

Usually by this time of night, he would have wrapped himself in his favorite satin robe, made himself a steaming hot cup of cocoa with just enough little marshmallows floating in it, and had settled down in his bed with its down comforter and pillows. He'd be drifting off to a blissful slumber.

But tonight, he wasn't.

Tonight, he was sitting in his fluffy purple chair (a twin to the one he still kept in his lair), sipping rum and coke, and thinking about what had happened that evening.

"Biologist! Bah!" he scoffed, as he took another swig of the sweet drink and felt the burn of the alcohol. "No one with hair that pink should be any sort of scientist! They should be the thing scientists study!"

Oh, the girl was infuriating. Just as infuriating as she'd been as a child, but a different kind of infuriating. The way she'd talked to him! So sassy and impertinent! Accusing him of losing his dignity! And then laughing at him when he leaned on the shadow climber! Ugh, she might have toned down the enthusiasm and all that goddamn pink, but she'd become sharp-tongued with age.

How did she know he was there? The cloak had to have worked. He'd forgotten to ask her—but perhaps it was a good thing he hadn't. Then he would be admitting that he'd been following her. It was bad enough that she accused him of being interested in her. So audacious, and maybe…flirtatious too?

The worst part about it all was that he hadn't made her angry, or upset, or even a little hurt. That was what had made all their previous interactions so enjoyable for him. Seeing someone who looked like a walking ray of happiness being reduced to the basest feelings anyone could feel. But instead, she just found it all amusing. She almost seemed…like she was enjoying talking to him.

Ah, no, that couldn't be! No one liked talking to Robbie Rotten. He was avoided and despised, and he liked it like that. He liked peace and quiet, and there could be none of that while there was the possibility of anyone being in his life. Surely, the girl must know that?

Surely, _he_ must know that?

Just then, the chronometer on his pastry-matic went off, alerting him that he needed to add the ingredients to the chamber to make a delicious breakfast cake. Robbie groaned and got up, swaying slightly from all the rum and coke, to check the machine. "Stupid thing," he grumbled. "Why is it going off now?"

Robbie looked at the dial, and sure enough, the chronometer showed 9 AM, the hour he had set it to sound the alarm for breakfast. But it wasn't the morning yet. Puzzled, he looked at the chronometers of several of his other inventions, and they all showed the same time. Finally he went to the window, pulled back the drapes, and had to shield his eyes as the white light of day poured into his house. It was indeed morning.

He'd been up all night, thinking about her.


	4. Chapter 4

_It was a beautiful wedding; Bessie had made sure of that. She'd had the church decorated in white lilies. The invitations were hand-decorated. The dresses and tuxedoes were ordered from New York. Everyone in Lazytown—and even some of the dignitaries in the neighboring towns—were invited. Bessie simply glowed that day, as did Uncle Milford. Stephanie had never seen him so happy._

_Robbie Rotten had tried to do a bit of sabotaging, as he changed all the signs that were supposed to lead the guests from the church to the reception hall so that everyone headed to the lake instead. However, Sportacus and several of their friends saved the day by packing up all the decorations and food and bringing them to the lake in his airship, where everyone had an excellent time eating, dancing, and dipping their toes in the perfect crystal water._

_Stephanie had had fun playing with her friends, all the while trying to keep her frilly pink dress clean, lest she upset her new aunt. She was trying her best to keep them entertained and happy so they wouldn't remember that she was going to be leaving Lazytown in two weeks to be with her mother. Finally, as the party died down, the caterers were starting to pack up, and guests were leaving, Stephanie finally took off her pink mary janes with the short square heels and walked around the lake a bit. She turned back once to see Trixie, Stingy, Ziggy and Pixel sitting on the beach, laughing and talking. Her uncle and aunt were still in the pavilion, slow dancing. Stephanie smiled a sentimental smile and walked on._

_And then she saw him—Sportacus. He was standing all alone in the clearing, looking up at the stars. Stephanie looked around quickly. She almost never got him alone anymore. She wasn't going to miss her chance. She quickly met up to him. _

"_Hi Sportacus," she called out to him. He looked over at her and smiled._

"_Stephanie!" he greeted her._

"_Am I disturbing you?" she asked shyly._

"_No, not at all! I was looking at how clear the sky is."_

_Stephanie looked up. "It is pretty clear." She sighed. "I'm going to miss it here."_

"_Oh, but you are going off to have great, new adventures! You should be excited."_

"_Oh I am! But, I'm sad too, I'll admit."_

_Sportacus nodded knowingly. "I understand. I felt the same way when I was called to come here."_

_It was then that Stephanie realized that Sportacus had had a family and friends and an entirely different life before he'd come to Lazytown. He just seemed so happy to be with them and do his job that it had never occurred to her. "Do you miss your home?" she asked._

"_Sometimes. More some days, less on others. But what I try to remind myself is that I love my job. This is exactly what I'd wanted to do all my life, and I get to do it every day."_

_Stephanie smiled and looked down at her feet. _He's so good, and kind,_ she thought. _He loves us all so much. Am I a horrible person for wanting him to love me the most?

_Suddenly they heard a high-pitched scream. Stephanie looked up quickly to see Pixel sling Trixie over his shoulder and spin her around while Ziggy and Stingy hollered with laughter. Pixel and Trixie…interesting. She wondered if this was the beginning of something more between them._

_Stephanie and Sportacus chuckled. Stephanie looked over at the town hero, trying to think of how to say what she was thinking. Finally she decided on, "Sportacus, do you believe that there's someone out there for everyone?"_

_Sportacus gave her a puzzled smile. "Why do you ask?"_

_And then she was embarrassed for saying anything, and grateful that the dusk was hiding the blush on her cheeks. "Oh, just…you know, Uncle Milford and Bessie. They'd known each other for years, but they only finally got married now. I sometimes wondered why it took so long for them to realize they were right for each other. And now…" she said, nervously twirling a lock of pink hair around her finger, "now that I'm leaving, I guess I worry that maybe…I'm leaving the one for me behind, and-and I don't know it."_

"_Oh, Stephanie. You're so young. You have plenty of time to think about those things." Sportacus gave her one of his standard hero smiles. "Focus on growing up first. Worrying about making mistakes isn't what you should think about right now."_

_Stephanie tried her best to smile. He'd just dismissed her. He might as well have patted her on the head and called her a "sweet kid." She was furious and just wanted to cry and run away. Fortunately, she didn't have to. The crystal he wore on his chest went off, and he was politely excusing himself and flipping away before she had a chance to say anything. And she was left standing in the darkness of the trees…_

Stephanie opened her eyes.

It was a strange dream for her to have had; she usually didn't have dreams of memories. Nevertheless it felt like the memory had now stuck inside of her like a splinter in her flesh. She wondered if it was her mind telling her heart not to bother even trying with Sportacus.

She lay still in bed, staring at the pink ceiling of her room. Even if she was discouraged, she still had to get up. She'd promised Sportacus that she'd play soccer with him and the middle schoolers. With a groan, she pulled herself out of bed and began to dress for the day.

When she came downstairs, her aunt and uncle were already sitting at the table eating breakfast. They gave her loving, somewhat condescending smiles when they saw her.

"Ah, at last, our fair princess awakens!" Uncle Milford waxed poetic.

Stephanie smiled back in confusion. "I'm sorry, did I sleep too late?"

"Oh Milford!" Bessie chided her husband. "Stephanie is used to living the life of a college student. We should just be grateful she's up before noon."

"Before noon! What time is it?" Stephanie cried, worrying that she'd overslept and missed her date (but not really a date) with Sportacus.

"Oh, just turned nine, dear. Do you have to be somewhere?" Uncle Milford asked.

Stephanie sighed in relief. "I promised Sportacus I'd play soccer with him and the middle school children at ten."

"Oh, plenty of time to have a good breakfast. Come, sit down, and I'll pour you a bowl of oatmeal," Aunt Bessie told her, going into the kitchen.

While waiting for her breakfast, Stephanie noticed her uncle looking through a manila folder full of documents, some with artist renderings of buildings. Not wanting to seem nosy, but feeling curiosity get the best of her, she asked, "Anything important, Uncle Milford?"

Her uncle looked at her, then closed the folder and looked at the outside. "Oh, just some plans the mayor sent to me. There are some older buildings she's considering tearing down to make room for new construction. Since I'm one of the oldest town residents and the previous mayor, she asked me for my opinion."

"Oh." Stephanie wondered if this was what Ziggy had meant by his somewhat dramatic use of the word "ambitious," to describe Mayor Marvelosa-and if it were a good thing. She was about to ask her uncle for more information when he slurped up the last of his coffee, gave her a kiss on the head and said, "I have some errands to run! I'll see you later, my dear!" and left the table.

Right after that, Aunt Bessie brought a steaming bowl of oatmeal to Stephanie and set it down in front of her. "There, dear. Plenty of good, wholesome energy for playing soccer."

"Thanks, Aunt Bessie. " Stephanie began to eat and found that her aunt had added raisins and cinnamon to the cereal, just as she liked it.

Bessie saw Stephanie's pleased reaction and smiled. "I remember how you liked your oatmeal. I'm so glad to have you home. It's nice to have someone else to cook for before besides your uncle."

"It's nice to be here, Aunt Bessie."

Her aunt allowed a minute to pass, then said casually, "You know, Stephanie, you'll be graduating from college next year. Have you considered what you'll be doing after you've earned your degree?"

Stephanie swallowed a spoonful of her oatmeal and tried not to look uncomfortable. "Well, no, not really. I just thought I'd look for jobs afterwards."

"Well, yes, of course, but have you considered where?"

Stephanie knew exactly where her aunt's questions were leading. She wanted her niece to return to Lazytown, put down roots, marry a nice man, and start a family. And that might be perfectly fine—if that man was Sportacus. But with him being the town hero – and many years older than her—Stephanie had no idea how Bessie or her uncle would feel about this.

Stephanie didn't feel the need to talk to her aunt and uncle about Sportacus, since there was nothing between them as yet. If something did happen…well, then, she'd cross that bridge when she got to it. But if it didn't, Stephanie wasn't sure if she'd want to come back and live permanently in Lazytown and have to see Sportacus day in and day out.

When she really thought about it, she wasn't sure if she wanted to live in Lazytown at all, with or without Sportacus. While she loved the town and the people here, she didn't know if this was where she wanted to be for the rest of her life. Had someone asked her 10 years ago, she would have without a doubt said that Lazytown was where she was meant to be. Now she wasn't sure.

So Stephanie tried to choose her words carefully. "I haven't thought that through just yet, Aunt Bessie. I'm trying to get through my last year and my finals. When the time comes…I'll examine my options."

Bessie pursed her lips in a disapproving way. "Dear, that time is coming faster than you think. You need a plan."

Stephanie quickly swallowed her last bite of oatmeal and said, "I do have a plan. I'm going to play a game of soccer, then have pizza with my friends. I'm going to go to the lake, and to the carnival, and maybe visit the mainland. My plan is to enjoy my summer vacation with my friends and family and tackle what needs to be done as it comes up."

Stephanie's candid words silenced Aunt Bessie, but they also seemed to hurt her. Rolling her eyes, she went over to the older woman and kissed her cheek. "Everything's going to turn out all right, Aunt Bessie. Please don't worry about me." She took her bowl to the kitchen and went out the back door.

Bessie sniffed and sipped her tea. "Easier said than done," she said to herself.

* * *

"So when is your friend gonna get here, Sportacus?" Andrew asked the town superhero.

Sportacus finished his stretches and smiled at the boy. "I told her to meet us at ten, Andrew. She should be here soon."

"She used to live here too, right?" another child, Danielle, asked.

"Yes, she did. In fact, she was the one who originally asked me to come here and be the town's protector."

There was an impressed hum of murmurs that came up through the small group of middleschoolers, many of whom did not remember the pink-haired girl Sportacus spoke of, knowing only the stories they'd all heard about her. She was the one who turned the town around.

Not too long after Sportacus had finished leading the children through the last round of stretches, Stephanie arrived at the school field. The kids greeted her with tons of enthusiasm, and Sportacus put his arm around her and announced, "Here is my dear friend, guys! Now let's have a great game!"

* * *

"Great game, Stephanie. I'm glad you were able to make it."

Stephanie grinned and took a sip of her strawberry banana smoothie. She was sitting across from Sportacus at one of the few tables inside of The Shock-tail, a shop that specialized in custom-made fruit smoothies and healthy milkshakes. It was one of the many new businesses in Lazytown, but Stephanie already loved it. The owners, an adorable married couple and the wife's mother, really knew how to make a delicious drink.

When the game was over, Sportacus and Stephanie sat with the kids while they ate the fruit and milk Sportacus had brought for them, and eventually all of the middleschoolers decided to go off on their own adventures. Stephanie was grateful for sticking around to the end, because the town hero turned to her and asked her to accompany him for a smoothie.

"I'm glad you asked me. I haven't played soccer in a while. I had a blast." And it was the truth, but she was still slightly sweaty from the game. To make the back of her neck cooler, Stephanie took the elastic band she wore around her wrist and started to roll her long hair into a bun.

Sportacus watched her rolling her hair, almost seeming mesmerized by the action. Noticing this, Stephanie remarked, "It got lighter as I got older."

"I'm sorry?"

"My hair." She gestured to her head. "You were staring."

"Oh!" Sportacus said, snapping out of it. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"No, that's okay, I liked it. I mean, not that I like being uncomfortable, not that you were making me uncomfortable, you'd never do that, I know, it's that," Stephanie groaned and closed her eyes, cursing her ineptitude. "What I mean is," she began again, slowly, "You didn't make me uncomfortable. I don't mind you staring. My hair has always been a bit of an anomaly, I know."

"I've always thought it made you special. More special, actually," Sportacus told her with a smile.

Stephanie laughed lightly. "Just me and my mother. We're the only two I know of that have the trait."

"Your mother has the same shade of pink hair too?"

"Yes, but hers is even lighter since she's older. Something for me to look forward to, I guess."

"You two look alike?"

Stephanie nodded, fiddling with the straw in her glass. "Yes, so much so that in our photos as children it's hard to tell us apart. The only thing we have in common, really."

The sadness in Stephanie's voice touched Sportacus. He knew that one of the main reasons why Stephanie had left Lazytown was to spend more time with her mother. From what the superhero had been able to glean from her uncle, Stephanie had never really had solid, loving relationships with her parents. "Her father died when she was very young," Milford Meanswell had told Sportacus in passing one time. "And her mother…oh dear." The mayor, in his usual, good-natured way, seemed to be searching for the most euphemistic way to describe Anastasia Meanswell. "Well, she's done the best she could, I suppose."

"I'm sure it's not just that you share," Sportacus offered. "She loves you, and you love her."

"Yes," Stephanie agreed, "but being a mother was never high on her priority list. Oh, she looked after me and provided for me when I was with her, but she was glad when I finally went to college and she only had to see me during Christmas and summer breaks."

"Oh, Stephanie, I'm sure that isn't the case," Sportacus tried to console her. "Sometimes parents have strange ways of showing their love, but that doesn't mean they don't care…" he trailed off as he saw the resoluteness in her face.

She shook her head. "She didn't want me, Sportacus. It's not something you can save me from or make better. It's just the truth."

Sportacus looked heartbroken by this. She knew he was used to being able to solve any problem, save everyone who needed saving. Without thinking, Stephanie reached out across the table and took his hand, saying, "I'm fine. I'm happy, really. I know I'm loved."

He smiled, squeezed her hand in return, and covered it with his other hand. "Yes, you are."

Stephanie felt a giddy smile blossom over her face, and her heart almost leapt out of her chest just from the thrill of her hand in his. She was about to say something when an alarm started beeping at Sportacus' wrist.

Tearing his eyes away from hers, Sportacus looked down at his watch and sighed slightly. "It's the mayor. She needs me."

"Oh. You should go then," Stephanie gently slipped her hand from his.

"Yes," he agreed. "I'm sorry."

She managed a good-natured smile and shook her head. "It's all right. I understand."

"I'll see you later," he told her, and ran out of the shop, pausing only briefly to say goodbye to the shop's owners.

Stephanie planned on finishing her smoothie, but after a few half-hearted sips, she'd had enough. She left a few dollars on the table and made her way to the exit. One of the owners, the wife, was near the door. "He's such a lovely man, isn't he?" she asked Stephanie. "Sportacus I mean. And he moves so fast! Always on the go."

"Yes," Stephanie agreed wistfully. "Always on the go."

* * *

Stephanie went home, showered, and immediately called Trixie to let her know she was free.

"Geez, already?" Trixie complained. "Shouldn't Sportacus be helping you…you know, cool down or something?"

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "We were actually having a really nice moment in the smoothie shop, and then the mayor called for him and he had to go."

"Ugh, how annoying. Doesn't that woman know I'm trying to get you laid?"

Stephanie had to laugh out loud at this. "I'm sure she's got her own problems, Trix."

"Oh whatevs. Well, come on over, Pixel's already here. I'll see if Stingy and Ziggy can come over now too."

By the time Stephanie got to Trixie's and was all settled in, Ziggy and Stingy were already knocking on the door. Again, they all wanted to get their turns hugging her, and then they all settled down in Trixie's parents' basement to play Pixel's seemingly endless collection of games. A few hours later, hunger started creeping in and the quintet headed out to the closest pizza parlor to share a pie. Stephanie felt somewhat relieved that they had not only gone to a restaurant that was old and she recognized, but that the original owners were still there and were very happy to see her.

After pizza, they all headed back to Trixie's basement to shoot the breeze and drink her dad's secret stash of whiskey he kept in the supply cabinet.

"You sure he won't notice?" Ziggy asked as he took a sip as casually as he could, cringed at the bitterness, and put the glass down as gracefully as he could muster.

Trixie smirked and took a gulp of hers. "Nah. This has been here for a while. He hides it all over the house from my mom, then forgets where it is. It's made for some fun times, am I right boys?"

A soft roar of approval came up through the group. Stephanie just smiled and took a quick sip, already feeling left out. The four of them—Ziggy, Stingy, Pixel, and Trixie—they had six extra years together that she hadn't been a part of. Even though they'd kept in touch almost constantly, and Trixie had even been out to New York to see her a couple of times, Stephanie still felt a bit left out. Emails, texts, Facebook, and Skype still weren't the same as going to the diner on Friday night, or watching the Sunday matinee.

Still though, the gang still treated her as one of them, and she loved hearing all their stories. Pixel and Trixie were attending the same university in New York, and they were sharing an off-campus apartment on a rather colorful but friendly street. They shared their building with only a few other people, including a music teacher, an elementary school teacher, a nurse, and a husband and wife who ran a fix-it shop just down the street. They were a tight knit group, and Pixel and Trixie's neighbors took pride in looking after them.

Stingy was studying interior design in Boston. He'd won a contest sponsored by the IIDA, which had required designing a prototype of a children's wing of a hospital, and now he had $2,000 burning a hole in his pocket. He'd thought of taking his boyfriend James on a trip to the Grand Canyon, but he decided that saving it would be better. "After all," he said with a gleam in his eye, "It's mine!"

They all laughed out loud at this, Stephanie probably the hardest, because it was a tender reminder that some things hadn't changed. Stingy finished laughing but said, "You all know I'm kidding. James is a sweetheart. I'll do something special for him when we're done with school."

"Is he going to be visiting Lazytown any time this summer? I'd love to meet him," Stephanie said.

"He might. His parents own a beach house in Ocean City, so maybe one weekend soon we can all take the ferry there and have a time of it."

Ziggy, being the youngest, was still in high school and gloomily reported that he had nothing to report. "Oh, don't give me that," Trixie said, giving him a friendly punch on the shoulder. "This guy here is on the Lazytown High football team. He's a star."

Ziggy smiled and blushed. "It's really nothing."

"Oh, Ziggy! Don't be so modest. I'm proud of you!" Stephanie said.

"Well…I have you to thank. Before I met you, all I wanted to do was eat sweets and watch TV. You were the one who made me want to do more."

Stephanie and Ziggy looked at each other for a brief moment. He'd had a crush on her when she first came to Lazytown. He'd given her a flower because she was strange and beautiful; she noticed him and made him feel special for the first time in his life. But she was four years older than him, and she was too smart and too sophisticated. And even now, twelve years later, it seemed that she was still too smart, sophisticated, and mature for him.

And for some reason, that seemed right to him, almost as if Stephanie was always meant to be somewhat unattainable. Even if she was never going to look at him as anything other than a friend, Ziggy at least could count on always having a special relationship with her.

"So," Pixel started, ending the moment, "Have you met the new mayor yet, Stephanie?"

"No, not yet. I haven't seen her around anywhere."

"Hmph, I'm not surprised," Ziggy grumbled.

Stephanie frowned. "What do you mean by that, Ziggy?"

Ziggy crossed his arms and leaned his head back against the sofa. "Oh, I dunno…it's not that Mayor Marvelosa is bad or anything, it's just…well, when your uncle was the mayor, he was much more…hands on, I guess. He kinda felt like an uncle to all of us, and he made us feel like we were important to him. He wasn't afraid to play with us or spend time with us, seeing what we were doing. With this new mayor, it's just, I don't know, she's all about her duties and pushing paper and building and stuff. Not that it's not important—I know that stuff is—but when it comes down to it…I know who Milford Meanswell is. I don't really know who Maven Marvelosa is."

The others nodded somewhat reluctantly. Finally Trixie remarked, "It's progress, I suppose."

Stephanie took a thoughtful sip of her glass and said, "Well, I'll be meeting her at the town meeting tomorrow, so I can size her up for myself."

"Well, if you really want to know about her, ask Sportacus. They spend tons of time together," Stingy told her. "What? It's true," Stingy added defensively when Trixie gave him a dirty look.

"They do? Sportacus and the mayor?" Stephanie said.

"Oh, you know, just town business and stuff," Trixie said quickly. "All the same stuff he used to help your uncle with."

"Mmm, I don't think Mr. Meanswell ever asked for as much help as Mayor Marvelosa does," Ziggy argued.

"Oh, let's just stop talking about her!" Trixie suddenly exclaimed, standing up. "Mayor Marvelosa's too old for Sportacus anyway. I'm gonna find the Stoli my dad keeps around here and we'll play a couple games."

An awkward silence followed this statement, but Stephanie wasn't paying attention. Was Sportacus getting involved with the new mayor? She did seem to call for him a lot. Twice now when Stephanie had him all to herself, he was called away on official business. Ziggy and Stingy seemed to think that something was going on, and Trixie really wanted to end the conversation. Stephanie hadn't been particularly curious about the new mayor before, but now she was. Now she was looking forward to the town meeting tomorrow so she could see this woman for herself.


	5. Chapter 5

"Are you sure you're okay to walk home?" Trixie asked as she walked Stephanie to the front door at the end of the night. "Really, it's no trouble. The boys are all staying over anyway. There's plenty of room."

Stephanie smiled and shook her head. "Nah. I'll be fine, thanks. It's not like I'm driving. Plus, I have a pretty high tolerance. Must be the pink hair gene."

"Oh, fo shiz! You really knocked it back, Pinky. I was pleasantly surprised."

Stephanie laughed lightly. "Glad I impressed you. But I should get back. Uncle Milford and Aunt Bessie mostly understand I'm not a kid anymore, but I don't want them to worry."

"Gotcha. Well, I'll see you tomorrow at Town Hall."

"See you then." Stephanie turned to go.

"Hey! One thing!" Trixie told her. Stephanie turned back. "About that thing with Sportacus and Mayor Marvelosa…I'm sure it's nothing serious, okay?"

Stephanie nodded, hoping the night would conceal the worry on her face. "Sure," she said as cheerfully as she could. "Good night, Trix."

"Night, Pink." Trixie gently closed the door behind her.

Stephanie walked home quickly, hoping that no one (especially her aunt and uncle) saw her getting into the house. She changed into her pajamas and got ready for bed, but I'm sure you all got the feeling that sleep wasn't happening for her. She had never felt such anxiety before a Lazytown town hall meeting. She was restless in bed, feeling the clandestine whiskey from Trixie's father's stash burning in her stomach. She got up and sat on the window seat, staring out at the clear night sky. She hoped to catch a glimpse of the blue and white airship flying above, but it never made an appearance while she sat there. Finally, with a sigh, Stephanie settled back down in bed and waited for sleep to claim her.

The town hall meeting started promptly at 10 am the next morning. Everyone gathered in the hall to await Mayor Marvelosa's arrival. Bessie naturally had to get a seat in front, and pulled Stephanie along with her. "Oh, how exciting! I'm sure Maven has some wonderful things to tell us about!" Bessie gushed.

Stephanie smiled ever so slightly. "That's great." She then tried to think of a way to ask about Maven Marvelosa in order to prove or disprove Trixie's description of her. "So…about how old is she? As old as Uncle Milford?"

"Heavens no! Maven's probably in her early thirties. So young and ambitious. Reminds me very much of myself when I was younger."

"Oh. What does she look like?"

Aunt Bessie looked at her niece strangely. "Well…she's a very well put-together woman. You'll be seeing her in a few minutes, dear. You'll know soon enough."

"Right." Stephanie tried not to look too embarrassed. Looking around the hall, she noticed Robbie Rotten standing at the very back, arms crossed and trying to look both casual and annoyed at the same time. Smirking, she got up and walked over to him. Robbie rolled his eyes when he saw her. "Oh joy. It's Biologist Barbie," he snarked.

"Look at you!" she said in reply. "How quaint. All dedicated to your civic duties! Next thing I know, you'll be volunteering for the Valentine's Day bake sale."

"Yeah, I'll lace the cupcakes with castor oil," Robbie replied without missing a beat. He was sure that such a comment would get him a look of horror—maybe even a gasp. That's how anyone else in this great land of prudes would react.

But instead she laughed and said, "Well, of course! Nothing says romance like a hot, steamy case of the runs." He couldn't help but return her smile after that comment.

"Seriously, though," she continued. "To what do we owe the honor of your presence?"

Robbie looked around, then said, "That new mayor is planning something big. She wants to build something that's going to disturb the peace even worse than Sporta-jerk's exercise campaign. I'm here to find out exactly what it is so I can make plans to stop it."

And that was the truth. He had picked up something going on through his telescopes, something happening near the swampy area on the outer area of the town. He could have easily heard and seen everything that was to take place at town hall through one of his many tubescopes planted in the ground and not had to leave the comfort of his home, but there was a good chance that the girl would be there that day. Not that he'd admit he wanted to see her to anyone—even to himself.

"Be that as it may, you'd better be careful, Robbie Rotten," Stephanie warned, waving a finger. "People are going to start thinking you care about this town. Coming outside during the day – isn't your kind supposed to avoid direct sunlight?"

Robbie cocked his eyebrow. "The only things that are bad for my health are smart-mouthed trolls with ridiculous pink hair. So go away before I start to break out." He waved her off. Stephanie grinned and went back to her seat.

As Stephanie sat down, her aunt gave her a surprised look. "Why on earth is that horrible Robbie Rotten at the meeting? And what were you doing talking to him?"

Stephanie shrugged casually. "Oh, that's what I was trying to find out—why he's here. He didn't tell me much." Aunt Bessie was the last person she'd ever admit it to, but Stephanie was actually enjoying trading barbs with Robbie. As much as she appreciated how kind and loving and giving everyone was in town, she could also appreciate someone who had a bit of an edge to them, who challenged her a bit.

Bessie shuddered. "I hope he leaves soon. I can't think of anyone more unpleasant to be around!"

"Hey Pinky! There you are!" Trixie shouted from across the room.

Bessie shut her eyes and winced. "I spoke too soon," she whispered.

Stephanie took her aunt's hand. "She's not that bad, Aunt Bessie. Give her a chance."

Bessie patted the hand she was holding. "For your sake only, dear."

By now Trixie had made it over to them and sat on the other side of Stephanie. "Pixel's on his way. There was this huge upgrade to one of his systems—some technobabble I could barely understand—but whatever, he'll be here soon."

"What about Stingy and Ziggy?"

Trixie smirked. "Asleep. Still working off the hangover, I'm afraid." Fortunately Trixie spoke softly enough that her words didn't reach Bessie.

"Oh, there's Maven! We'll be starting soon!" Bessie cried out, and Stephanie's eyes flew to the podium in the front of the room.

As Stephanie took in the sight of the town's new mayor, who was escorted onto the stage by Sportacus and Uncle Milford, the first thing that came to her mind was that Aunt Bessie was wrong. Maven Marvelosa was not "well put-together."

She was stunning.

Bee stung lips, violet eyes framed by long, dark lashes. Her dark red hair was a cloud of soft waves gathered around her face and flowing gently down to her shoulders. Her figure was both athletic and voluptuous, and she seemed to have no qualms about showing it off in a short, form-fitting, bright green shift dress. If she hadn't become mayor, this woman could have easily been gracing the cover of every fashion magazine in the world.

And just then, Stephanie had the sensation of her heart dropping to her knees. It only got worse when she saw Mayor Marvelosa lay a familiar hand on Sportacus' arm and smile at him while she leaned in to tell him something confidential. He laughed lightly and seemed to agree with whatever she was saying.

For the first time she since she'd come back to Lazytown, Stephanie wished she hadn't.

Then Uncle Milford and Sportacus walked away to stand off to the side, and Maven Marvelosa came to stand at the podium. She adjusted the microphone, smiled a dazzling smile at her constituents, and said in a charmingly husky voice, "Good morning, everyone! Thank you very much for coming to our Town Hall meeting! I have some very exciting things to tell you about, and of course, there will be time at the end of each announcement for questions. I would also like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Calabrese from the Pepperoni Palace for providing the post-meeting refreshments. We hope you will all stay and have something. And now, on to the announcements!"

Mayor Marvelosa then presented a variety of topics: a town-wide effort to raise money to send the Lazytown High School Seniors to Technopolis that fall for the annual college expo; the Lazytown official website was going to get a facelift with several new apps ("Pixel designed a lot of those things she's talking about," Trixie whispered proudly to Stephanie); volunteers interested in decorating and coordinating the 4th of July parade and picnic should sign up on the bulletin board at the back of the hall after the meeting; the budget for the next fiscal year would be available on the Lazytown website by the end of next week.

"And I saved the best for last!" Mayor Marvelosa exclaimed. "I have been reviewing plans for an exciting new development for our town. Mr. Meanswell?"

At her prompt, Uncle Milford stepped onto the platform and placed a large tackboard rendering of a sprawling building onto an easel that stood near the podium. There were several "oohs" and "ahs" that erupted from the audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is an artist's rendering of a 50,000 square foot shopping center that is under consideration. Such a shopping center would attract hundreds of shoppers from the surrounding area and bring tens of thousands of dollars in annual revenue to our town. We've already started petitioning for several prominent retailers to contract with us. Now, I'm confident that the majority of you are pleased with the idea, but Mr. Meanswell as well as our town protector, Sportacus"—Mayor Marvelosa smiled sweetly at the town hero as she mentioned him—"felt that your input on the development as well as your comfort level with the idea was imperative. So, I'd like to field any questions you might have about the development before we start putting out bids for contractors."

Everyone looked at each other, unsure of what to ask. Granted, several new businesses had popped up in town in the last two years, but they were mostly small, mom and pop establishments. A mall like this was unprecedented for Lazytown. And while no one could read anyone else's mind, there was one common emotion felt as consistently as though they were one person: uneasiness.

Stephanie noticed this, and remembering what Robbie had told her, she slowly raised her hand and said, "Excuse me? Mayor Marvelosa?"

The town leader turned her lovely face to Stephanie and smiled kindly. "Yes? I'm sorry, I don't think I've met you."

"This is Stephanie, my niece. The one I've been telling you about, Maven," Uncle Milford interjected.

"Ah yes, Stephanie! Visiting us for the summer, of course! Is there something you'd like to ask?" the mayor asked.

Stephanie nervously pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Well, yes, actually. Where exactly is the proposed location for this shopping center?"

"Good question. There are two acres of unused swamp land that sit right at the city limits. They're no use to anyone, so we plan to drain the swamp, fill it in, and build on top of it."

At the mention of the swampland, Stephanie stood up from her chair. "Mayor Marvelosa, while the idea of a stylish new shopping center sounds great, I-I really think you should reconsider."

The mayor frowned. "I'm sorry?"

She could feel everyone—including her aunt, uncle, and friends—staring at her in surprise, but she cleared her throat and went on with her explanation.

"One of the things that makes Lazytown so special is a unique set of environmental conditions: the mineral content of the water that makes it so crystal clear and clean; high levels of chlorophyll, flavonoids, and carotenoids that make the flowers and trees so bright; even the particles in the atmosphere right above the town that make the sky such a vivid blue. That isn't limited to that swamp area you want to build on. There are literally hundreds of species of plants and animals that live there that just can't be found anywhere else in this world. Species like the flying toad and the striped wren, floating greenberry grass, and—" Stephanie glanced at Robbie Rotten—"the midnight blue shadow climber.

"I know the decision is ultimately up to the town, but I really don't think this is a good idea. You'll be destroying a vital and unique ecosystem and causing hundreds of forms of life to become extinct just to build something that could easily be built somewhere else. That's…that's all I had to say. Thank you." Stephanie sat down again.

Mayor Marvelosa looked a bit taken aback, but she smiled as graciously as she could and said, "Well, thank you, Stephanie. I had no idea that swamp was so…important." She turned to the rest of the audience. "Does anyone else have anything to add?"

After a few seconds of silence, Aunt Bessie stood up and said, "My niece attends one of the most prestigious science universities in the country. She knows what she's talking about, and I think she's right. Lazytown doesn't need a mall."

Then, Sportacus came forward and said, "I think we all understand the point of building the center, Mayor, but I think some things are more important than money. I agree with Stephanie and Bessie." Stephanie felt a huge grin spread over her face from his words.

There were murmurs of approval from the rest of the Lazytown citizens. In the wake of such strong opposition, Mayor Marvelosa had no choice. She cleared her throat and said, "The town has spoken! The plans will be put on hold indefinitely. I thank everyone for their input."

In the back of the room, Robbie smiled wryly. "Well done, kid," he said, and left the hall.

"You should have seen her, Babe! Spouting off all that environmental knowledge! She stopped that mall right in its tracks."

Stephanie took another bite of her pizza and tried not to blush at Trixie's gushing compliments. "It was just the truth. No big deal."

Stephanie, Pixel, and Trixie were sitting at one of the picnic tables right outside Town Hall, eating slices of pizza they got from the refreshments table. Most of the people who attended the meeting just grabbed some food and went off to do other things, but the three friends decided to stay for a while and hang out. Stephanie's aunt and uncle helped to close things down after the meeting, but then decided to head home. Sportacus was still inside the hall, probably with Mayor Marvelosa. Stephanie was trying her best not to dwell on that fact.

"Yeah, but like you said, you probably saved tons of plants and animals from dying off. I wish I had been there to see it," Pixel said, then made a noise of protest when Trixie picked a couple of pepperoni off his pizza and popped them into her mouth.

Just then, Stingy and Ziggy approached the table—very slowly. They didn't look hungover anymore, but they did look tired.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in!" Trixie exclaimed. "Can we get you guys some thick, juicy, meaty slices of pizza?" Both boys groaned and held their stomachs in response.

"Oh, Trixie, you're so mean. How about some nice cool lemonade?" Stephanie offered.

"That sounds great, Steph. Thanks," Stingy responded, plopping himself down in a chair.

"Sorry we missed the meeting. That was a killer hangover," Ziggy added.

"Well, now that you're here, we've got to tell you what happened!" Trixie exclaimed.

Stephanie smiled, but she didn't want to hear the story repeated again. She excused herself and went the refreshments table set up right outside the hall to get the lemonade. She filled up one cup from the pitcher and was just starting to take a second cup when she felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder and a voice say, "Hi, Stephanie!"

Letting out a yelp in surprise, she lost her grip on the cup, and with the reflexes of a cat, Sportacus snatched it out right out of the air. She turned around, catching her breath quickly. "H-h-hello," she gasped.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" Sportacus said remorsefully, gently taking hold of her shoulders to steady her.

"You didn't scare me," Stephanie started to say, but then she almost knocked over the cup of lemonade she'd already poured and struggled to keep it upright. She then took a deep breath in and smiled as gracefully as she could. "Hello," she repeated.

He crossed his arms. "I was hoping you were still here. I wanted to talk to you about what you said today at the Town Hall meeting."

Stephanie felt panic settle over her skin like she'd been doused with ice water. Sportacus looked so serious. He wasn't happy with what she'd done. Stingy was right; he was close to the mayor and this had been her project, and Stephanie had thwarted it.

"Sportacus, when I said what I did, I don't want you to think that I was trying to cause trouble," Stephanie tried to explain.

Sportacus's eyes widened. "Cause trouble? No, of course I don't think that. I was just going to say that I was proud of you for standing up for the environment. It took courage to speak up like that."

Stephanie's mouth dropped open. "You mean-you're not-you're glad…I said what I did?"

"Well, yes. It was the right thing to do. Shopping can be fun—and a good source of exercise—but preserving the environment is important."

She smiled. "Thanks." Then she thought of the mayor. "Is…Mayor Marvelosa upset with me?"

"The mayor? Certainly not. She values the citizens' opinions, and everyone felt the shopping center wasn't the right thing for the town. She's glad you spoke up."

_And Sportacus knows exactly how she feels, because he spends so much time with her_, Stephanie thought bitterly. She turned back to the table and finished pouring the other cup of lemonade for Ziggy. "I hope I haven't ruined too many plans you were making."

Sportacus frowned. "Plans?"

_Don't sound petty and jealous, Stephanie. You'll only make yourself look like a silly little girl, _she told herself. She had to choose her words carefully_._ "Yes. I mean, you work so closely with Mayor Marvelosa, so she must have discussed the plans for the shopping center, right?"

"Well, yes, I knew about the shopping center, but…I advise the mayor mostly on issues of security around the town."

"Oh." Stephanie picked up the two cups of lemonade and got ready to take it back to the table where the others were sitting. "I'm glad I got a chance to talk to you. I'll see you later."

"Wait." Sportacus held her arm to stop her. "I also wanted to say…I'm looking forward to the party tomorrow night."

"Party?"

"Yes, of course! Don't you remember? The welcome home party your aunt and uncle have been planning for you."

And then Stephanie remembered Ziggy mentioning it when she first got to town. She smiled when she thought of it: a party with all her friends. Music, dancing, food. The Lazytown parties of her childhood were always fun. And Sportacus would be there too. They'd dance together, laugh together, just…be together.

"Right, you're right. Silly me. I can't wait," Stephanie told him.

Sportacus smiled. "I hope we get some time to talk and really catch up. I haven't been able to spend much time with you since you arrived."

"Well…you've been running away a lot."

"Running away?"

"No, not running away. You don't run away from things. You're always running into danger. That's not what I meant. And I don't mean that you're running away from me, I know you wouldn't do that…oh, geez, what I mean is, I know things have come up. I understand. I hope we can spend some time together at the party too."

"Great! I'll see you tomorrow night. I'll see you then!"

Then, borrowing a line from Trixie, Stephanie said, "Not if I see you first!" Then, she added, "You know, I mean if we ran into each other someplace around town. I don't mean that I'm stalking you or something…"

Sportacus nodded. "Right. Well, goodbye!" He did several flips and then leapt over a low-growing set of bushes to get back to his airship.

Cursing herself for her idiotic choice of words, Stephanie grabbed the cups of lemonade that poor Stingy and Ziggy had been waiting patiently for, and walked back to the table, hoping that the rest of the afternoon spent with her friends would make cheer her up and take her mind off her conversation with Sportacus.


	6. Chapter 6

An hour before her welcome home party, Stephanie was sitting in front of the mirror at the neon pink dressing table of her childhood, brushing her hair. Uncle Milford was outside at the tent they'd put up for the party, making sure all the preparations were finalized. In the room across the hall, Stephanie could just make out the sounds of her aunt busying herself with dressing to the nines: touching up her coif with a little more hairspray, slipping into her turquoise and gold dress, spritzing herself with her trusty Chanel. For Bessie Meanswell, every event—no matter how big or small—demanded meticulous attention in dressing. Stephanie, on the other hand, had already decided she was going to keep it simple tonight: only a little bit of clear lipgloss and mascara, no jewelry, and hair down and loose. Even the white lace dress she'd picked out earlier that day when she went shopping was about as unassuming as you could get.

It had caused a bit of a spat between Stephanie and Bessie when they were picking out their dresses. Bessie was irritated that Stephanie rejected all the lovely, ornate dresses she'd tried to pick out for her. Her aunt was persistent, but Stephanie gently held her ground. "I don't need to stick out, Aunt Bessie," she insisted. "I'm the guest of honor. The attention is going to be on me no matter what I wear."

In spite of the pressure her aunt put on her, Stephanie still had a wonderful time. She enjoyed breakfast and shopping with her aunt, and lunch with her uncle. She'd enjoyed the time with friends the day before, after the town hall meeting. She had a great time jogging with Trixie later that evening, and hearing her talk about the art program she was enrolled in at her college. "All those years drawing mustaches on your uncle's pictures," Trixie said breathlessly with a smile. "Who knew it would actually turn into something?"

But now Stephanie was alone in her room, and forced to think about the one thing that had been bothering her since yesterday: her talk with Sportacus, and how she'd mangled it all up. Why was it that she could be witty and clever with Robbie Rotten, and yet be such a clumsy, babbling idiot with Sportacus?

And then the answer was as clear as the nose on the face she was looking at in the mirror: she wasn't trying to impress Robbie Rotten. She could be herself. Sportacus was a different story.

Her relationship with Sportacus was easy when she was a child. They were friends and team players and dance partners. She had everything she wanted from him. But now she was older and she wanted more. She didn't just want his time or his attention; she wanted _him_. She wanted him to want her.

And so she was trying so hard to be perfect for him, that it had blown up in her face.

Sighing, she ran the brush one last time through her rose-colored hair and called it complete. She wasn't going to dwell on it any more. Stephanie was going to have a good time. Her uncle and aunt had worked hard to put this party together.

_It's my party, and I'll laugh if I want to, dammit._

* * *

When you live in a town as small as Lazytown, and your uncle used to be the mayor, that meant that when he invited "a few friends" to a party, it meant the whole town showed up. It also meant that there were dozens of faces you vaguely recognized, and even some you didn't recognize at all, nearly bombarding you from every side. On the bright side, it meant that Stephanie's party had the best of everything: the best catered dishes, the best music, the best decorations. The nicest part was that Aunt Bessie remembered how much Stephanie loved to dance, and made sure that the stone floor of the patio was open and clear to move to the music.

Stephanie giggled as Stingy spun her around the dance floor, as they did a modified sort of cha cha to the song "Maps" by Maroon 5. "Whoo, Stingy! I didn't know you could dance like this!" she called over the music.

"Haha! Just doing my part to perpetuate the stereotype that all gay guys can dance," he answered. Stephanie laughed again as Stingy launched her into multiple twirls as Adam Levine crooned, "Following, following, following."

They were really a sight to behold, but Stephanie most of all. Even though she no longer aspired to be a dancer professionally, she still had a dancer's body, still held the envied dancer's line. She owned that stone floor, and while Stingy was no slouch, he was there mainly as support: the glass to her champagne, the stem to her rose. The other guests respectfully left the floor to the two of them, contenting themselves to merely glancing in their direction in appreciation and admiration every now and then.

When the song ended, the two friends smiled at each other and walked over to a couple of chairs lining the outside of the patio. As they sat down, and received a couple of compliments from other guests on their dancing, Stingy reached behind them and plucked a couple of sodas from the table behind them. "Cheers," he said, handing one to Stephanie. "This is my refreshment for now. No more alcohol till I get back to school."

She smiled. "No shame in that. Thanks for dancing with me, by the way. You're a great partner."

"Bah," he said, waving her off good-naturedly. "You made me look good. I'm glad you still got it."

"Oh I dance all the time," Stephanie told him, taking a long sip from her can. "I belong to a dance club at school and I've done a couple of shows at the local theater."

"How did you get into biology, by the way? I remember you saying in an email you were going to a science university when you were first accepted, but that's about all I know."

"The second summer I was living with my mom, we went to the Galapagos Islands and visited the conservation center there. We were supposed to go snorkeling. Well, she ended up backing out—I think it was a guy she met or something, I can't remember now—so I went by myself. Stingy, it was the most incredible thing I've ever done. The animals that I saw. A manta ray swam right past me. I saw hammerhead sharks and sea turtles. I felt a connection to them, to all the things I saw. After that, I just wanted to know about all of it: all animals, all plants, all life. So studying biology seemed like the way to go."

Stingy nodded. "Makes sense. The dancing biologist!"

"Yep, that's me!" Stephanie answered with a laugh.

He leaned back in his chair and took in the rest of the party. Ziggy was at the dessert table, helping himself to his third cupcake. Bessie was the center of a small group of partygoers, talking in length about something to do with the party, while Milford hovered near her, holding a plate of finger foods for her. Trixie and Pixel had now gone onto the patio floor (now that the spectacle Stingy and Stephanie created was over), and were slow dancing as John Legend's "All of Me" was piped through the speakers. Stingy turned his eyes off to the side even further and saw yet another friend of theirs.

Taking this as his cue, he finished the rest of his soda, turned to Stephanie and said, "I think there's someone else who wants to wish you a "welcome home." He gestured to the far end of the patio. Stephanie looked over to see Sportacus looking back at them. There was a sort of vulnerable look about him, almost something sad and longing. She gazed at him and he gazed back.

Stingy stood up, gave Stephanie a kiss on the cheek, and said, "Thanks for the dance, darling." Nodding to Sportacus, he walked over to the dessert table to stand with Ziggy.

* * *

Sportacus had been standing in the shadows of the lawn, watching Stephanie dance with Stingy. It had been years since he'd seen her dance. The grace, the poise and the beauty were still there, but there was sensuality now too. She moved her body with the confidence and prowess of a woman, not a girl. Sportacus knew there was no reason to be jealous of Stingy (for more reasons than one), but he couldn't help feeling that way when he saw the boy twirling and dipping Stephanie, his hands on her hips. She looked so happy, so at ease in Stingy's arms; why wasn't she that way with him? That's why he'd hidden in the shadows: because he feared if she saw him, he'd make her uncomfortable.

But now she'd seen him, and Sportacus wasn't sure whether to go to her or not. But before he could decide, she was already walking across the lawn to him. She looked up at him, the light from the lanterns the Meanswells had hung up reflecting in her eyes. "You came," she said simply.

"Of course!" Sportacus answered with his usual enthusiasm. "I promised I would!"

She looked at him strangely for a moment, as though she were analyzing him. "Yes, you did," she agreed. She looked back towards the house. "My aunt and uncle are over there, if you'd like to say hello."

Normally, Sportacus would agree to that, because he always believed in being polite to his hosts. But tonight was different; he wanted tonight to be different. So instead, he took her hand and replied, "I will—later. Right now, I want to walk with you."

Sportacus watched as a look of surprise, then glee spread over her face. "You-you do?" she asked, her voice heavy with breathlessness he could barely hear it.

He nodded. "I do."

And so, they walked across the lawn, passing the patio where most of the guests were gathered. Stephanie caught Trixie's eye while she and Pixel were sitting at a table. Trixie's eyes widened in happy surprise, and she winked at her friend. Stephanie smiled and looked away.

They'd nearly made it to the front of the house, where Sportacus hoped it would be mostly unoccupied, when they were confronted by Mayor Marvelosa. He had to admit, the town leader looked gorgeous tonight, wearing black leather pants, a silver blouse, and a white jacket over top. Her crimson hair was piled high on her head in a bun. She smiled kindly when she saw them. "Well, hello! What a lovely party, Stephanie! Thank you for giving us a reason to celebrate."

"G-glad you're having fun, Mayor," Stephanie said in a voice so soft even Sportacus could barely hear it. He could feel her fingers loosening their grip on his. He didn't know for sure, but it seemed as though she were getting ready to leave. Or perhaps she was getting ready for him to leave her.

So Sportacus grasped her fingers tightly, but gently, and said, "If you'll excuse us, Mayor. Stephanie and I have some things we need to attend to."

Maven Marvelosa looked puzzled, but she smiled amiably and said, "Of course! Enjoy yourselves." Sportacus thanked her and continued walking with Stephanie in tow.

When they got to the very front of the house, which was, much to Sportacus' delight, completely empty, he gently let go of Stephanie's hand, vaulted up the steps, leaned into a handspring, and flipped over so that his back was to her. He turned around and smiled. She laughed and clapped, walking up the steps to join him. He leaned against the rail that ran around the porch and crossed his arms. Stephanie sat on the rocking bench that was near where he stood.

"So have you enjoyed being home?" Sportacus asked.

Stephanie hesitated, then shrugged. "To be honest…ah, no, maybe I shouldn't say-"

"Stephanie, you can tell me anything," the superhero insisted.

Stephanie looked away, into the darkness of the trees. "I was going to say…I'm not sure if I think of Lazytown as my home. Not all the time, at least. It's funny: sometimes I'll be with Trixie and we'll be joking and laughing and it'll feel like old times and I'll think I'm glad I'm home. And then sometimes I'll pass a new place in Lazytown…or I'll see someone that I don't know…and then it won't feel like home anymore."

Sportacus nodded. "I understand that. When I went home to visit two years ago, I felt very much the same way. I'd been away for so long that it took me a while to get used to…certain things."

"Where did you come from originally?" Stephanie realized she'd never actually asked him before.

"Iceland," he said. "All of my family is there."

"So is the rest of your family…like you? Superheroes, I mean?"

He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling in a charming way. "No, they are not. Only me. Oh, they are fit, strong, active people, dedicated to a healthy lifestyle. But I was the only one who got the calling amongst my people."

"Calling?"

"To be a guardian, and join the guild. The guild is a world wide society that's dedicated to enriching the lives of all people. Before you sent the letter to me, I traveled all over the world. But when you asked me to come here, I devoted myself to being the sole guardian of Lazytown."

Stephanie nodded. "So why were you called? You in particular, I mean?"

Sportacus shrugged. "I displayed the potential for it. Only 10 people out of the entire world's population have the potential at any given time. So I was trained from a very young age."

Stephanie thought about it for a moment, then got up from the bench to stand next to Sportacus. "How come you never told us about this before?"

"Well…no one ever asked before. I think for most people, they're not really interested in where a hero comes from—they just want to know he'll be there when they need him. Or her."

Stephanie tentatively took his hand in hers. "I'm sorry, Sportacus. It's not that we didn't care, it's just…I guess we all just thought you fell from the sky like an angel, or something. And…you were always heading off to some other place. We never got to have you for very long."

Sportacus turned to look at her with a smile that was kind, yet pointed at the same time. "Are you sure you're talking about all of you, or just one of you?"

Stephanie blushed and was about to answer when they heard a desperate cry, "Oh dear! Where is she? Where could she have gone?"

Just then, Milford came out of the house and onto the porch, a dog leash hanging from his hand. "Oh, Sportacus! Stephanie!" he exclaimed. He glanced at their hands joined together, and Sportacus and Stephanie quickly pulled away.

Sportacus got into his "town protector" mode and assumed the typical position: feet slightly apart, hands on his hips, his chest puffed out ever so slightly. "What's wrong, Mr. Meanswell?"

"Oh, it's Fi Fi! I think she's gotten out since the party started! I'd completely lost track of her, what with everything else to attend to…oh dear, what if she's lost forever! What will Bessie do?"

"Now, just calm down, Uncle. We'll find her," Stephanie said, laying a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Did you check the house?"

"Oh, top to bottom! At least I think I did…" Uncle Milford put a finger up to his lips and looked down despairingly. Sportacus and Stephanie exchanged a look.

"Sir, I'll search the town. Why don't you and Stephanie stay here in case she turns up?" Sportacus said.

"Oh that would be wonderful! And please, don't tell Bessie. I don't want to upset her."

"We won't say a word," Stephanie assured him.

"Very well. I'm going to keep Bessie distracted. Wish me luck!" Milford left the porch and then rounded the back of the house.

Stephanie turned to Sportacus with a wry smile. "Speaking of always heading off to some other place…"

He sighed. "I know. But I have to help him."

Stephanie nodded. "I know."

"Well, I'd best be off!" Sportacus was about to leap over the railing when he stopped, turned back and said, "Tomorrow, can you meet me for a game of tennis? Just you and me."

Stephanie felt her heart start to speed up. "Sure," she said. "Where and when should I meet you?"

"One o'clock. I'll pick you up in my airship. Just be waiting outside the house."

"I can. I mean, I will! I'll see you then!" Stephanie waved.

"See you then," Sportacus repeated, then jumped onto the railing and flipped away.

After Sportacus left, Stephanie searched around the outside of the house, looking in bushes and under the stairs. But there was no sign of the dog. She finally went back to the back of the house where the rest of the guests were. She noticed Stingy and Ziggy were talking with a couple of guys that she vaguely recognized. Stingy saw her and waved her over.

"Stephanie, this is Corey and Adam. They went to Lazytown High," Stingy explained.

Corey smiled and held out his hand. "Hi Stephanie. I think I remember you. The old mayor's niece, right?"

"Yep, that's me. Nice to meet you. And you too, Adam," she said, shaking both their hands.

The conversation was pleasant enough, but soon Stephanie was lagging behind. Soon the four boys were reminiscing about teachers, classes, parties, and other things that she knew nothing about. And then she was in the awkward position of wanting to leave, but not knowing how to do it without being rude.

Finally there was enough of a break in the conversation that Stephanie was able to stand up, smile sweetly, and say, "Will you guys excuse me? I need to go check with my uncle about something."

"Oh sure, Steph. We'll see you later," Ziggy said with a smile, but sounding slightly disappointed.

Stephanie walked to the other end of the tent, and saw her uncle peering around the bushes. Laying a hand on his shoulder, she started to say, "Uncle?"

The poor frazzled old man shrieked in surprise, but turned around and calmed when he saw who it was. "Stephanie! Any news from Sportacus?"

She shook her head. "I haven't seen him since he left, so he must still be looking for Fi Fi."

"Oh dear. What will I tell Bessie?"

Stephanie put her arms around Uncle Milford. "Tell her the truth. Tell her that Sportacus is looking for her right now, and he'll bring her home soon. You have to tell her, or she's going to start wondering where Fi Fi is."

He sighed. "You're right." He looked at her closely. "Are you having a good time at your party, dear?"

Stephanie raised her eyebrows in amusement. "Yes, a great time. Thank you, Uncle."

"Of course, dear. Now if you'll excuse me." He patted her on the shoulder as he walked past.

Stephanie watched as her uncle made his way over to his wife to tell her what happened. She saw Trixie and Pixel sitting together on the back stairs, their arms around each other, gazing at the stars. Stingy and Ziggy were still joking around with Adam and Corey. Sportacus was off scouring the town for a pampered Westie. The other guests didn't really know her, and she didn't really know them; truthfully, they came because they knew Milford and Bessie Meanswell, because they were like the royalty of this town.

Stephanie felt a bit like she'd been let loose in a storm and didn't know where to go. So finally, she decided to start walking. She didn't know where she was walking to, and she figured that if anyone from the party did realize she was gone, she'd just use the excuse that she was searching for her aunt's dog. And if she happened to find Fi Fi while walking, well, that was all the better, wasn't it?

She walked down the hill that led away from her uncle's house, the sounds of the music and laughter of the party slowly starting to dwindle. The town was quite dark now, with most of the residents at the Meanswell house. As Stephanie began to walk through the town, she realized there was only one house that still had its lights on: the dark, foreboding house on the hill that belonged to Robbie Rotten.

There was no reason to go there. No reason at all. He was a grouchy, miserable man, and he'd probably throw her off of his property if he saw her. But for once in all the years Stephanie knew had known the mean-spirited weirdo, they actually had something in common: neither one of them fit in.

She began the climb to the top of the hill.


	7. Chapter 7

Robbie stared at the design he'd been working on for an hour on his blackboard, then growled in frustration and erased it once again. He was working on an invention he was hoping to market and sell to Wayne Enterprises: a combination of his cloaking system with a holographic projector. This would not only allow the wearer to be invisible, but also project a false image if he chose. However, he couldn't get the two systems to work together in harmony; they worked perfectly when they were apart, but when they were fused together, it was a mess. He simply couldn't get the light to diffuse in the right way.

He sat down in his fuzzy chair and closed his eyes. Maybe he should just cut his losses and go to bed. Maybe if he got up at the crack of noon and looked at the design with fresh eyes, he'd find the solution that was eluding him.

Fortunately, the party those two old fuddy-duddies the Meanswells were holding for the girl wasn't loud enough to disturb him. He'd contemplated putting together a cunning plan to bring the party to a halt, just so he could see the infuriated look on Bessie Meanswell's face. He'd thought of anonymously sending a giftbox that was filled with stinkweed and limburger cheese, or perhaps pulling out his old wind machine to give the gift of a personalized hurricane right above Milford's house. He'd also thought of kidnapping the guest of honor—it would have been quite the triumph if he could have pulled it off, considering the way Sporta-kook was always hovering around her. And of course, it would have completely and utterly ruined the party. The fact that Stephanie Meanswell would have been completely at his mercy and he'd have her all to himself was merely an added bonus…

But he decided against it, instead using his limited amounts of energy to finish his invention. Besides, an unexpected little pawn showed up on his doorstep that night, and he planned to use it to his advantage.

Then there was a knock on the door, and Robbie nearly fell out of his chair in surprise. No one ever knocked on his door. On the rare occasion that someone did come to his door, it was usually a delivery of parts he needed for his inventions. And at this time of night, he certainly wouldn't be getting any deliveries. Cautiously he tiptoed to the door, pulled back the metal viewer he had installed by the door to see outside, and peered into the glass.

It was the girl! What the bloody hell was she doing here?

Should he open the door? Robbie didn't know. He was suspicious of her presence. He kept peering out at her. She was looking around the house, looking nervous, but wasn't going away. Sighing to himself, Robbie unlocked the door and opened it.

"What do you want?" he barked at her.

"And a very pleasant evening to you too, Mr. Rotten," she said with a smile. "It's nice to see you're just as bright and cheery at night as you are during the day."

Robbie rolled his eyes. "This is private property, Pinky. I'm well within my rights to shoot trespassers."

"Oh, this is _your_ house?" Stephanie said in mock surprise. "My mistake. From the looks of it, I thought the boogeyman got tired of city life and moved out here."

He seethed. "There's someone I'd like to introduce you to. Pinky, meet door." And with that, he promptly slammed the door in her face.

He turned away from the door, fists clenched in anger. "That girl!" he bickered to himself. But then, something made him reconsider, and he opened the door again. She was starting to walk away, but turned around when she heard him come back.

"Oh, for God's sake! Come in, come in! But you can't stay long!" he grumbled. Smiling, the girl walked past him as he held open the door for her.

"Sit down. But not there!" he snapped as she started to move towards the purple fuzzy chair. "That's my chair. Only I sit there. You sit in that one." He pointed to a wooden ladderback chair on the other side of the fuzzy one.

Obeying his directions, she sat down in the chair while Robbie sat down next to her. "Thank you for having me," she said.

"Having you? You just showed up and wormed your way in!" he protested.

Stephanie chuckled. "Yes, I guess I did."

Robbie rolled his eyes. "Let me restate my original question: what do you want? Why are you here?"

Stephanie hesitated for a moment. Did she want to tell him the truth: that she felt so lonely amongst her friends that she sought out her old nemesis? He'd probably laugh in her face at that. So instead she put on a smile and said, "Just wanted to see why you weren't at my party."

Robbie's eyes widened, and a hoarse laugh began to fill his throat. "Why I wasn't-why I-ha!" He began to laugh so hard he had to clutch his sides. "Oh, kid, that was a good one." He wiped away a tear.

"Answer the question," Stephanie demanded.

Robbie scowled at her. "The answer's as obvious as your garish hair. I wasn't invited."

She shrugged and leaned back in the chair. "It never stopped you before."

"True, but since Busybody married your uncle, she frightens me a bit. After my cunning trick at her wedding, she threatened to cut off the protruding parts of my body…all of them." He shuddered.

Stephanie's eyes widened in shock. "Aunt Bessie? No, it can't be!"

"Oh yes. Not quite the sweet little old lady she'd have you think she is. Believe me, Pinky, they'll be building ski lifts in hell before your aunt lets me anywhere near her house. Besides," he began, eyeing her suspiciously, "you're not saying you wanted me to come, are you?"

Stephanie's mouth hung open. "No, I...well, I mean, I wouldn't have…minded if you came."

The corners of Robbie's mouth began to slowly turn upward into a smile, but he quickly caught himself and casually crossed his legs. "I'm working on a project right now and didn't have the time." It was mostly the truth, he justified to himself.

Stephanie nodded. "It looks like you've got quite a lab here." She looked around the living room, at all the tables strewn with various mechanical parts, the chalkboards, the filing cabinets probably bursting with various blueprints.

"Well, I'm oh so glad you approve," Robbie sneered.

While the room seemed to be overrun with laboratory and engineering materials, there was one thing that made the house seem more like a home. On the far wall hung a framed photo of a woman. Stephanie narrowed her eyes and got up to look at it. The woman had long dark hair, dark brown eyes, and skin so pale and creamy that it was almost translucent. She was beautiful, and her kind smile made her all the more so. Stephanie couldn't help but smile looking at her.

"Who's that?" she asked.

"No one," Robbie answered quickly, following right on her heels.

"Yes, it is," Stephanie argued, turning back to look at him. "You wouldn't have her picture on the wall if she wasn't important."

He glowered, then sighed in resignation. "It's my mother, if you must know, Little Miss Nosy."

"Oh, she's lovely!"

"Yes…she _was_." He emphasized the last word.

Stephanie felt the blood drain from her face. "Oh, I'm sorry." She turned away from the photo. "My father died when I was little."

"Oh, lucky you."

Stephanie winced. "Why would you say something like that?"

Robbie shook his head. "Nothing personal, kid. If you met my father, you'd understand."

Stephanie was a little shocked by this, but part of her did understand. Nodding her head, she remarked, "So your mother was the 'good one.'"

"She was. And your father was the 'good one' I take it?"

She smiled bitterly. "Yes, I guess you could say that. He wanted a child, and my mother had me to make him happy. And after he died…well, I guess she didn't really know what to do with me."

"Yeah," Robbie said distantly, staring at his mother's photo. "What do you do with something you don't want, but you're stuck with?"

Stephanie couldn't help but feel a little weirded out by the turn of the conversation. Here she was, talking about things she usually kept bottled up deep inside, with Robbie Rotten of all people. In spite of the weirdness, however, she was grateful to him in an odd way for letting her tell her story without denying it or trying to smooth it over to try to make her feel better, the way her friends and family liked to do.

But she decided to try for some levity, and answered Robbie's mostly rhetorical question: "I guess you send it to Lazytown?"

Robbie threw back his head and gave a short, barking laugh. "Evidently so. Unfortunately for me and my sanity." Stephanie rolled her eyes but smiled.

Just then, Stephanie noticed that music was starting to play in the house. It was old-fashioned sounding music, sort of like the stuff her uncle used to listen to at home, but not exactly the same. Her brows knitted together. "What's this?"

Robbie looked up and around. "Oh that? It's something called music. I'm sure you can barely recognize it, what with the sound of real instruments being played by hand, and human voices singing in key without the need for augmentation by a computer."

"Douche," Stephanie summarily pronounced. "I meant, what kind of music is it? It's R&B, right?"

"It's got elements of R&B, yes. Soul music. I created a sound system that starts playing this when it gets close to bedtime."

"Hmm…it's nice." Stephanie looked at Robbie. "Let's dance to it!"

Robbie cocked an eyebrow. "You can't be serious, kid."

"Oh, come on! You didn't come to my party; the least you can do is have one little dance with me."

Robbie shook his head. "Not gonna happen."

"Come on! Please?" She looked up at him, eyes wide with hope.

"No!"

"Just one dance? Please?"

Robbie groaned. "If I dance with you, will you go away?"

"Yes," she promised in a voice full of sincerity and honor.

He threw up his hands in defeat. "Fine."

The next song in the stereo started—"Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" by Aretha Franklin. As the sound of an organ and a piano fused together signaled the beginning of the song, Stephanie took Robbie's hand and laid her other hand on his shoulder. Robbie's other hand hesitantly clasped her waist. They moved slowly back and forth while the Queen of Soul serenaded them:

_Take me to heart,_

_And I'll always love you._

_And nobody could make me do wrong._

_Take me for granted, leaving love unshown,_

_Makes willpower weak, and temptation strong._

She was so soft, so warm in his arms. Even the feeling of the lace and silk of her dress under his fingertips was wonderful. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest he wondered if she could feel it too. He didn't like this. His world was small and neatly ordered, and this girl was starting to break those boundaries he'd set up. He didn't want to lose control of that.

_A woman's only human, you should understand,_

_She's not just a plaything, she's flesh and blood, just like her man._

He should have never opened the door. He should have ignored her knocking until she gave up and went away. Better yet, he should have never followed her when she went for that run. Then they never would have talked, and she would never have had a reason to visit him tonight.

_If you want a do right, all day woman,_

_You gotta be a do right, all night man._

Now she was resting her head against his shoulder, and even though every one of his instincts told him to push her away, he couldn't.

_Yeah, they say it's a man's world, but you can't prove that by me._

_And as long as we're together baby, show some respect for me._

Better still, he never should have looked out of his telescope the day she came to town. Then he never would have seen her in the first place…

_If you want a do right, all day woman_

_You've gotta be a do right, all night man._

And then the song was over. Grateful for the shortness of 60's LPs, Robbie released the girl from his embrace. "You need to go," he told her softly. "Before those apes you call friends start looking for you."

She gave a short laugh. "Yeah, you're right. Well, good night!" She started to walk away.

Suddenly he remembered something. "Wait, kid!" Robbie called. Stephanie turned around.

Robbie climbed the stairs, opened the door to one of the rooms at the top, and gathered something in his arms.

"What's that…" Stephanie asked, squinting at the small white object in Robbie's arms as he descended the steps. As he got to the bottom, the object raised its head and looked at her. Stephanie's mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Fi Fi!" she cried, taking the dog from Robbie. The frightened little westie gratefully clung to Stephanie as she petted her. She looked up at Robbie in indignation. "Robbie Rotten! Did you steal her from my aunt and uncle's house?"

"Absolutely not!" he snarled. "I already told you I wouldn't set foot on your aunt's property. I'm too fond of my…protuberances." Robbie quickly glanced downwards. "It just wandered up here by itself, and I brought it in."

"Out of the kindness of your heart, right?" Stephanie cocked her head to one side in skepticism.

Robbie grinned in his typical scheming, goofy way, and said, "Well…perhaps I had an idea for something. But I decided against it."

"Hmm. What made you change your mind?"

Robbie shrugged as casually as he could. "I guess you caught me on a bad night. Now go away. You promised."

Stephanie nodded. "Yes, I did. Good night."

Robbie didn't answer, but after she walked out the door, he closed it behind her, then pulled back the curtain just slightly so he could see her walking down the hill and make sure she made her way safely in the darkness. Once she was back on the path and close to her aunt and uncle's house, he pushed the curtain back in place and turned out the light.


End file.
